Dirty Little Hsicret
by Tatsurou-san
Summary: Sequel to Hsicret Wuv. Jade and Hsi Wu attempt to determine if a relationship between them can actually work. After all, Hsi Wu is an immortal demon over 1000 years old, and Jade is an 11 year old mortal girl. Can it work, or are they too different to succeed? Oh, and some villains get in the way, too.
1. Under the Moonlight

1. Under the Moonlight

Jade tossed and turned in her bed in Jackie's Section 13 apartment. She didn't know why, but she just couldn't get to sleep. Then again, considering recent events, was it any wonder she had trouble relaxing? Finally, she kicked off her covers in frustration, slipped on her slippers, picked up her new favorite plushie - she'd told Jackie it was a gargoyle - and walked out of the apartment room.

In Section 13 proper, she began to wander around, looking for some way to tire herself out to get to sleep. She couldn't seem to find anything, though. This late, most of the labs were closed or fully active, making it hard to sneak in to grab anything fun.

"What are you doing up, Jade?"

"WAH!" Jade jumped and spun, patting her chest. "Captain Black! Don't sneak up on me like that! Being scared half to death isn't exactly the best way to get sleepy."

Captain Black smiled. "Can't sleep either, huh?" He chuckled. "Come on, let me show you something." He led her to a different elevator from the one that exited to the phone booth. They rode it up in silence, and exited to the roof of the cover building. "I come up here some nights, when I can't sleep, and look at the stars, or down at the city. It helps me to relax."

Jade went up to the edge of the roof and leaned on the railing, gazing out at the sleeping city. "Wow, what a view! I can see Uncle's shop from here!"

Captain Black chuckled. They stood looking out for a time. Before long, though, Captain Black was yawning. "Well, I'm heading back in. Coming, Jade?"

"If it's okay, I'd like to stay up here just a little longer." Jade stared up at the stars, tracing the constelations with a finger.

Captain Black nodded. "Alright. Just be sure to get to sleep at some point. It is a school day tomorrow." He left the roof.

Jade stared up at the stars, seeing the constelations. Then, in her mind, a different picture was visible, resembling a bat. Reaching under her jammies, she pulled out her yang charm on its gold chain. Holding it tight, she whispered, "Oh, Hsi..." It had been a couple of weeks since she'd last seen him, since he really couldn't come back with her from the antarctic circle. He would have to make his own way back to avoid discovery. She knew this, but...she worried about him.

Suddenly a shadow crossed some of the stars, and claws lightly clicked against the stone roof of the building. "Jade?"

"Hsi!" Running forward, Jade threw her arms around him, and they held each other tight...then stepped back, shuffling awkwardly. Although their emotions were rather intense, both were aware of certain things that had to be taken into account: Jade's family and their views, Hsi Wu's heritage, Jade's AGE...they had to be careful to go slow.

Hsi Wu, being immortal and having learned patience, had an easier time with this than Jade did. "It's good to see you well, Jade," he said quietly.

"Yeah, good to see you, too, Hsi. I was worried about you."

"Then why didn't you call me sooner?"

"What do you mean?" Jade stared at Hsi in confusion.

"I heard you calling me, so I came."

"But...I was whispering. Just how close were you?"

"Other side of the city, getting settled in where I won't be discovered." He turned to look at her. "But I heard you call me, and knew where to go."

Jade glanced down at her charm, hanging out of her clothes now. "I was holding this up to my face when I whispered your name...Maybe that's why you heard me?"

Hsi Wu glanced down at the Yin he still wore. "Could be. It might very well be we can hear each other through the charms." Taking the charm in his hand, he thought, *Can you hear me, Jade?*

Jade looked at him. "Of course I can hear you, Hsi. You're standing right..." She gulped. "Your lips didn't move. When did you learn to throw your voice so well?"

*I didn't,* Hsi Wu thought to her. *I'm thinking my words to you.*

Jade took the charm she wore in her hand. *You mean...you can hear my thoughts?* she thought to him, nervously.

He shook his head. "No," he said aloud, releasing the charm. "The only thoughts we hear from each other are those we send to be heard." About to say more, Hsi Wu was distracted as a white cat with red eyes hopped onto his shoulder to nuzzle his face, purring. "Oh my! Who's this little lady?"

Jade giggled. "That's Ruby. I picked her up in Tangeirs, while Jackie was trying to retrieve the Cat of Khartoun for the museum. Boy, that was a crazy adventure."

"Really?" Hsi Wu held Ruby gently, stroking her between her ears and eliciting a purr. "Who got scratched?"

Jade blinked. "You know about the Cat?"

Hsi Wu chuckled. "Jade, I'm a demon thousands of years old. I know quite a bit about ancient artifacts of mystical power. So who got furry?"

Jade chuckled. "Well, me for one."

Hsi Wu's eyes widened. "I don't know whether to be glad or sorry I missed that."

"What do you mean?"

Hsi Wu held up Ruby, who was still trying to nuzzle him constantly. "Cats are drawn to the occult, and vice versa. Cats will actively seek out the occult in their area, either to nuzzle up to it as Ruby is doing now or to battle it, driving it away." Hsi Wu rubbed the back of his head. "As adorable as it would be to have seen you as a kitty...well, it comes with the feline behaviors, as I'm sure you remember."

Jade had a sudden mental image of herself - as the kitty behaviors started to appear - nuzzling up to Hsi Wu as Ruby was now, but with Hsi Wu in a human form for the trip. She turned bright red. "Ah, yeah. I can see why that might be...awkward." Another image hit her, and she giggled.

"What?" Hsi Wu asked, smiling as her laugh was infectious.

"Valmont got scratched, too."

Hsi Wu's eyes went wide. "Okay, no longer uncertain. Glad I missed that trip." They shared a laugh. "So, what other magical artifacts have you been playing with?"

"What makes you think I'd play with the artifacts that come through the shop?"

"Because you're you."

"HEY!"

"Jade," Hsi Wu said with a smile, "you're drawn to powerful magic like a moth to a flame. It's not something that can be stopped, only - hopefully - guided. I'd rather not see you get burned."

Jade looked down, embarrassed. "Well, nothing to worry about there with the Eye of Aurora."

Hsi Wu smiled. "Unless you accidently say, 'Return to Volcano National Park,' and end up in the lava."

Jade chuckled. "Or, 'Return to Siberia,' and end up surrounded by a pack of wolves, not knowing the key to teleporting is to say 'Return to' first."

Hsi Wu quirked an eyebrow. "That sounds like personal experience."

Jade chuckled nervously.

They continued to talk like that for some time, and then Jade started to yawn. "You should get to bed, Jade," Hsi Wu said. There was no response. "Jade?"

Jade had fallen fast asleep, leaning up against Hsi Wu, Ruby cuddled up in her arms with her 'gargoyle' plushie. Hsi smiled. "Sleep well, Jade."

The next morning, Captain Black rode up the elevator. "Jade? You up here?" He saw Jade, leaned up against the railing sound asleep. Rolling his eyes, he picked her up and carried her back to where Jackie was looking for her. Glancing down, he mumbled, "Where did the blanket come from?" 


	2. School Daze

2. School Daze

Jade walked to school, feeling rather confused and perturbed. Despite all the adventures, her life was still dissapointingly normal. Jackie was being more insistant on her not going with on his archaeology trips, since they had a tendency to become dangerous. This meant she was pretty much stuck living the normal life, especially since it was getting harder to sneak into the labs at Section 13 to find something fun to do. Admittedly, there had been a few adventures, but somehow they lacked the zest they had once. A year in Demon World had changed her, certainly, and although she got excited about adventures as easily as ever, somehow the excitement crash after hit harder.

And if this didn't make it bad enough, the one thing that DID help - talking things over with Hsi Wu - was becoming harder and harder to do, since Jackie and the others had started keeping a closer eye on her, given her somewhat down attitude. Uncle worried the netherworld had effected her, and was busy researching a proper cleansing spell - inbetween the other projects - and had instructed Jackie to keep a close eye on her in the meantime. This meant she was rarely - if ever - left unsupervised.

While she could talk with Hsi Wu throw their linked charms, it wasn't the same as a face to face meeting, and sending thoughts over long distances was draining for both of them. During the last talk they'd managed face to face, though, things had gotten somewhat awkward.

When Jade had managed to get out from under her overzealous caretakers for long enough, she called Hsi and he came. She had immediately hugged him, but then they stepped back again. The awkwardness between them had also gotten worse, as the sneaking around wore on both of them.

"Geez," Jade said at last, "it's like I'm sneaking out to meet a boy my folks don't approve of for make outs, or something."

Hsi Wu coughed uncomfortably. "Well, not make outs, but the rest is pretty accurate."

Jade looked away. The strain of all this was getting to her. She needed an easier way to handle this. Finally, she blurted, "This would be a lot easier if you took a human form, you know." She flinched back. She hated to feel like she was judging Hsi Wu's nature, especially after all he'd done for her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"No, Jade. It's okay. You're right." Hsi shook his head. "I've wished I could just look human and spend time with you, like when I first left my portal. The only problem is that your Uncle knows what my human form looks like."

"Then can't you just make a new one?" Jade asked in desperation. "I mean, your human form is generated by magic. Why not just tweak the spell a bit?"

Hsi Wu was silent for a while, and then he grinned. "Jade, you're a genius." He gave her a quick hug. "It may take a bit to work out all the details...but next time we talk, we won't have to sneak anymore." His ears twitched. "I'd stay longer, but it sounds like your watchers have caught up." He quickly took flight and was gone.

That had been two weeks ago, and she hadn't heard from him since. She wondered what his plan was. Reaching school, she sighed and managed to paste a smile to her face. At least the year in the demon world had helped her master hiding her real feelings when she needed to. She was teased enough at school for her fascination with magic and her 'crazy' stories. She didn't need anyone thinking she was depressed.

Once in class, Ms. Hardman called for everyone's attention. "Students, I have an announcment. We have a new student joining our class today." She turned to the door. "Come in and introduce yourself."

A young boy walked in, his skin tone and features showing a European ancestry. He had brown hair slicked back in what resembled hedgehog spines. He had green eyes, and a hesitant but friendly smile. He was wearing a blue shirt and grey jeans. He walked up to the front of the class. Despite the young age group, several of the girls in class were sighing.

*Hmph,* Jade thought. *So a foreign boy shows up and the girls start fawning. I thought that stuff didn't happen till high school.*

The boy introduced himself. "Hello, everyone. I am Cielo Torres, and I come from Spain. My family moved here recently, and I hope to make many good friends."

Ms. Hardman faced the class. "I hope you will all make Cielo feel welcome. Cielo, why don't you take that seat behind Jade."

He nodded and came to sit down, smiling. The girls nearby immediately pounced, asking questions.

"What's your favorite color?"

"What are your hobbies?"

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"What a neat pendant! What's it mean?"

Pendant?

Jade turned to look as the boy began to answer questions. "I don't really have a favorite color. I dabble a bit in ancient mythology and sleight of hand. No, no girlfriend, but someone special to me. As for this..." He lifted the Yin charm on its gold chain. "It's a symbol of a promise." He sent a covert wink in Jade's direction that the others missed.

"Alright, class," Ms. Hardman said. "Settle down, settle down. We have classwork."

As everyone began to settle down, Jade covertly touched her Yang charm under her jacket. School suddenly didn't seem so bad. 


	3. Shooting the Breeze

3. Shooting the Breeze

During recess, Jade sat out on the playground, chatting with Cielo. They'd managed to fake a convincing 'first meeting', and 'Cielo's' interest in magic allowed for explanation as to why he'd sit and listen to all her stories. "You really went all out to make this work, didn't you?" she asked him, after her repeat stories had sent the other students away, leaving them more or less alone.

Cielo smiled. "I want this to work. I'm willing to do whatever it takes so that we don't have to hide. It doesn't even take all that much deception. A few details are changed, but most are simply left out or glossed over. The end result is that we have the time to talk without someone wondering why."

Jade smiled. "Yeah. Thanks, Cielo." She chuckled to herself. "It still feels wierd calling you that, though."

"In that case, call me Ci." He smiled as Jade laughed. "So, I know it's been a while since you had time to tell me what's been happening, so what have I missed?"

Jade smiled. "Not too much. First off, we all went on a cruise to protect a rare statue. That was pretty fun. Wish you could have joined us."

"Yeah. Spending time on a cruise ship with you would have been nice. What else?"

"Well, some monks came down from the Ben-shui monastery claiming Tohru was the Chosen One."

Ci laughed. "How'd they react when they found out they were wrong?"

"Badly. How'd you know they were wrong?"

"Because Tohru's still here."

"True. I got to kick butt, though! Some sort of magic walking stick just flew into my hand! Apparently belonged to the last Chosen One or something."

"Right, the cycle of reincarnation." Ci got quiet for a time, then shook it off. "So what else happened?"

"Well, we had a bit of a problem with some possessed pirate gloves. They got Tohru framed for stealing, but we were able to get him off."

"Never a dull moment, huh?"

"Meh, that was nothing compared to the chaos I dealt with when someone tricked me into accepting the Emerald of Kahlarn."

"The bad luck gem from Ireland? Nothing bad happened to you, did it?"

"Nah, Jackie took it off my hands and managed to get it back to where it belonged. The only problem I had in the meantime was when I tried to get information by pretending to be a leprechan."

"Pot of gold?"

"Pot of gold." Jade shook her head, sighing. "Talk about crazy. And then somehow all the Talisman powers wound up inside me, and I had a crazy Dark chi wizard named Dao Long Wong after me for them. That was pretty awesome...until I got paralyzed."

"I've heard about Dao Long Wong. Pretty powerful. You should be more careful."

"Since when have I been careful?"

"Just because you aren't going to doesn't mean I shouldn't tell you to. I worry."

"Thanks, Ci. Oh! I haven't yet told you about the secret society of wizards that stole Stonehenge! Say, you wouldn't happen to know what Stonehenge is ACTUALLY for, would you?"

Ci shook his head. "It was built before even MY time, Jade."

"Aww...well, at least I can tell you about the craziness with the Monkey King, the Jiang Shi, and the giant monkey statues full of bad chi!"

"What, all at once? That must have been a crazy day."

"Nah, it happened over a couple weeks, but they were crazy! Oh, and then we thwarted a crime lord obsessed with jade!"

"He was obsessed with you? That had to be disturbing."

"Not me, the gemstone! We actually thwarted him twice, once by infiltrating his base, and once when he made dark magic clones of us!"

"Clones of who?"

"Me, Jackie, Tohru, Viper, El Toro...the entire J Team!"

"Really? Even Paco?"

Jade rolled her eyes. "Yes, even Paco. And Paco's clone got used while mine was kept back at the base." Jade grumbled, still upset over the seeming unfairness of it. "For a time, it seemed like I was the only one NOT cloned."

"I'm not surprised," Ci said grinning. "It's hard to duplicate perfection."

Jade blinked at Cielo for a bit, blushing. "Oh, uh...thanks."

"Hey Jade!" Drew said, coming up. "Telling the new guy your crazy magic stories? Thought you'd try to be normal for once!"

As Jade growled, Cielo smiled. "What is so crazy about magic?" he asked simply.

"What? Don't tell me you believe in all that craziness she spouts!"

Cielo shook his head sadly. "I do not need to believe. I know the truth of magic. After all," he flicked his wrist, and Drew staggered back with a face full of snow, "how else do you explain me having a snow ball in autumn in San Fransisco?"

As Drew staggered back, spluttering, the other kids started laughing at him or wowing about Cielo's trick. Jade smiled, covertly touching her charm. *How'd you do that?* she asked silently.

Cielo idly fingered his charm. *The sky - and all that forms there - is my element. That boy's really irritating, isn't he?*

* You have no idea.* Laughing at something Ci had said aloud to the other students, Jade joined them as they all ran to play. 


	4. Along for the Ride

4. Along for the Ride

"Are we there yet?" Jade asked Jackie for seemingly the umpteenth time.

"Patience, Jade," Jackie told her. "We won't even know where 'there' is until Uncle finishes with the locater spell." He turned towards their extra passenger. "I still can't believe I agreed to bring your friend along as well."

"It's because Uncle told you to," she said, smiling at Cielo in the back seat. "Besides, an extra pair of eyes can't hurt." She thought back to how Cielo managed to get to come along on this trip.

Cielo came up to Jade as the Chan's were packing for the trip to Nevada. "Jade, you missed school yesterday. I know it was Friday, but it's not like you to ditch." It was true. Jade hadn't missed one minute of school since Cielo joined her class.

"Hey, Ci," Jade said, smiling. "Sorry I missed you yesterday, but night before last, Dao Long Wong AND the Dark Hand thugs broke into Section 13 to steal the talismans! But Jackie wound up blowing them up, and the powers got transferred into animals scattered around the world. We spent all of yesterday hunting down Scruffy, the dog with the power of Immortality. He's in Section 13 right now, and we're heading to Nevada to find the Tiger."

Cielo took it all in without a blink. "Wow. That's intense."

"Jade!" Jackie said as he came out. "He doesn't need to know all that! Who is he, anyway?"

Jade looked up. "Jackie, this is my friend Cielo Torres. Ci, this is my Uncle Jackie. Jackie, can Ci come along, please?"

"Absolutely not!" Uncle proclaimed, carrying the locator-spell-in-progress out of the shop with him. "We must get after the Tiger! We cannot bring anything that might slow us down." Uncle prepared to add another ingredient to the spell.

"Umm, dried wing of Egyptian moth might give the spell greater efficacy then monarch butterfly wing," Cielo told Uncle. At Uncle's stare, he shifted uncomfortably. "I...used to have a lot of free time on my hands, and given my hobby of magic, I read a lot about various styles. I recognize the spell you're working, and my reading says that's slightly more efficient, and if time is of such essence..."

When Uncle managed to stop blinking and opening and closing his mouth like a landed fish, he turned to Jackie. "He comes! His skill - even if it is unpracticed - and youthful chi will be useful in confronting Dao Long Wong!"

Jackie sighed. "You gotta be kidding me."

Cielo, as though remembering his reason for being there, handed Uncle another vial. Uncle added it to the spell in the sock. "When we finish hunting this animal," Uncle said to CIelo, "come by my shop. I would welcome your aid in my research."

"I'd be honored, sir," Cielo responded. He suddenly chuckled.

"What amuses you?"

"Irony." Smiling, Cielo lightly touched his charm and sent the comparison between this invite to Uncle's shop and the last one to Jade. Jade giggled.

Not much later, they encountered Dao Long Wong. Cielo maintaned his cover, not participating in the fight. Besides, Jackie could handle it. However, he did prepare himself in case he should need to pull a fast rescue move.

Once in Vegas, as they headed out to get Sasha, Cielo pulled Jade aside. "Jade," he whispered, "I can't touch the Tiger. I don't dare risk it."

"You mean you can't help on the animal hunts?" Jade whispered back, surprised.

"No, just this one. Think about it. What would happen if my Yin and Yang were seperated, now that I have good chi in addition to my demonic?"

Jade shuddered. "We'd have human Cielo and demon Hsi Wu running around...and in addition to blowing your cover, that would spell disaster for all of us, since your demon side might side with Dao Long Wong."

"Exactly. I think I'd do better this time helping Uncle develop new combat spells. I know quite a few tricks I could pass on."

Jade nodded. "Yeah, and it can't hurt to ingratiate yourself with him, since he's in charge of these investigations." Jade gave Ci a quick hug. "Good luck."

Cielo returned the hug. "You too."

Later, while Jackie and Jade battled the Dark Warriors while tending the Tigers, Cielo and Uncle squared off against Dao Long Wong. "Interesting choice for apprentice, wizard!" Dao Long Wong said, glancing breifly towards Cielo.

Cielo flinched as Uncle responded, "My apprentice is minding the shop! Cielo is an assistant."

"In that case, perhaps I should offer him an apprenticship! I sense a great potential for Dark magic inside him."

Cielo decided to shut Dao Long Wong up. "Forget it! I've had my fill of darkness. I think you need a taste of light!" Pulling out his focus of choice - an albatross' wishbone - he fired his prepared chi spell, a beam of blindingly white light. As Dao Long Wong evaded the spell, he was hit by Uncle's follow up attack.

Before long, the tiger's - and Jackie's - were reunited, and Dao Long Wong and the chi warriors were defeated. Loading Sasha into the carrier they brought, they headed for home. On the ride back to Section 13, Jade fell asleep and Uncle decided to talk with Cielo.

"Young man, what did you mean about having your fill of darkness? And why did Dao Long Wong feel potential for Dark magic inside you?"

Cielo sighed. "My folks travel around a lot. I've never really had any real friends. Life's been...very lonely for me, before I met Jade. It led me to...some dark places. I know what it's like to live in darkness, and I choose to live in the light now." He seemed to hesitate. "As for the dark magic potential...I do have demon blood in my heritage, according to family legend."

*Not bad, Hsi,* Jade thought to him. *You managed to craft a backstory that is believable, explains nearly everything, and will engender sympathy...and I didn't detect anything in there that was a flat out lie! Though I'll have to ask you later about the parents bit, since that sounded like truth as well.*

*Hush,* he sent back to Jade, although he smiled towards her.

Uncle, having only heard what Cielo said aloud, rested a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. As long as you are firm in your convictions, you need not fear the darkness. Although I see why you did not want to touch Sasha. You were worried your demon blood might manifest in your dark side."

Cielo nodded. "Jade told me about the powers of the Talismans, and I had learned of them from other sources. Without any practical experience with them, I couldn't be certain. I decided it was better safe than sorry."

Uncle smiled. "You have good instincts. I look forward to doing more research with you."

"As do I," Cielo replied, sensing Jade was truely asleep now. "As do I." Feeling rather tired himself, he checked his magic - making sure his human form wouldn't dissipate - and then he, too, slept. 


	5. Birth of a Rivalry

5. Birth of a Rivalry

Jackie, Jade, and Cielo rode the plane flight to Mexico to search for the noble rat. Although they all sat together, Jackie hadn't been getting much sleep since the new adventure began, so he fell asleep on the plane, leaving Jade and Cielo more or less to themselves. Still, Jade didn't want to disturb Jackie, so she reached into her jacket. This close it was no effort to send thoughts to each other. *Hsi, I meant to ask you about your folks. This is as good a time as any, since we've still got an hour or so.*

Cielo touched his charm. *You really want to know, huh? I'm really not supposed to talk to anyone about them. Back amongst my siblings, we weren't even allowed to speak of them amongst each other.*

Jade's eyes widened. *Why is that?*

*If we got into the habit of talking about them, the wrong people might overhear it in an unguarded moment.*

*Well, this is about as guarded as it gets.*

*...I'd like to tell you, to answer your questions, but I can't like this. This form of communication passes concepts, the entire idea, not just words. And your mind can't handle the concepts that define my parents in their entirety.*

*Now wait a minute-*

*That's not an insult, just a statement of fact. For my siblings and I, the capacity to wrap our minds around the entirety of the concept of our parents existence was the trial to come of age, and I was considered a prodigy because I managed it by 500. Even Tso Lan, the wisest of us, only managed it by 750, and everyone else was over 1000 by the time they managed it. Your mind hasn't developed enough to handle the concept, and if I tried to give it to you this way, it might damage you.*

*Woah.* Jade realised this was the heavy stuff, the part of mythology that nobody knew because it was unknowable. *But...you said you can't tell me this way. How else could you tell me?*

*Spoken words carry only the slightest fragment of the concept. Aloud, I could give you the tip of the iceberg.*

Jade took her hand off her charm. "Alright," she said aloud. "Tell me."

Cielo took his own hand off his charm and - seeming without thinking - rested it on hers as he leaned in to whisper. "Alright. Demons - no matter their form - draw the essence of their power from the Sea of Chaos. This is as much a concept and a state of being as an actual place, but it does exist. Our father is the sentient will of the Sea of Chaos made metaphysically manifest. He has corporeal form only when he chooses to, and that form is whatever he chooses to be. ...as you know mythology, he would be referred to as Chaos, and classiffied as an Elder God."

"Woah," Jade said in awe, amazed.

"Our mother, meanwhile, is a being of golden light. Like our father, she only has corporeal form if she so chooses, and again, it is whatever she chooses it to be. She reigns over the Sea of Chaos, guiding and commanding it. She has had many names in many mythologies, and her power - like our father's - transcends this reality and extends into many others. Her influence is so subtle - and yet so profound - that her presence in other worlds has been perceived from this one. There is even an animated TV series in which she is spoken of by one of her many names: The Lord of Nightmares."

"Holy..." Jade was shocked. She knew that series, and learning that THAT was one of the identities of Hsi Wu's mom was...intense. She blinked for a bit then. "So...if your father is the Sea of Chaos, and your mother reigns over it...does that mean your Mom has your Dad whipped?"

Cielo made a disgusted face. "As both of my parents are older than Time, I choose not to speculate about what they get up to together in the privacy of eternity."

Jade blinked for a bit, then also made a disgusted face. "Eww, Ci! Not what I meant!"

Cielo couldn't help it. He laughed. After a few moments of glaring, Jade laughed too.

Jackie awoke to the sound of their laughter. "What's so funny?" he asked them, curious about the joke.

Remembering the conversation - and a few other things - Jade smiled at Jackie, winking and holding up a finger in front of her face. "That's..." she said, shaking the finger, "...a secret!"

Jackie was very confused as both Jade and Cielo cracked up laughing.

When Jade brought El Toro and Paco back to help with the Dark Chi Warriors, she noticed, once they got moving, that Cielo and Paco were staring at each other. She decided to jump in with introductions. "Paco, this is my friend Cielo Torres. He comes from Spain. Cielo, this is Paco, my friend and El Toro's protege."

"Greetings, Senor Cielo," Paco said extending a hand.

Cielo extended a hand, accepting the handshake. Smiling, he said, "Call me Ci."

"Si."

"What is it?"

"What is what?"

"Never mind."

"Si."

"What?"

"What is it?"

"You called me?"

"Called you what?"

"Ci."

"Si what?"

"No, Si who."

"Hsi Wu? I see no demon."

"That's a relief."

"Si."

"WHAT?"

Jade walked forward to Jackie and El Toro. "Let me know when Abbot and Castello back there are finished," she said to El Toro.

"Si," he responded.

Cielo interrupted his discussion with Paco to catch up to Jade. "Sorry, Jade. I thought you'd find that amusing."

"You did that on purpose?"

"Si," he said, grinning.

Jade blinked for a bit, then smiled. "Thanks, but next time, I'd prefer Sancho Panza."

Cielo smiled. "I'll keep that in mind if I see a windmill."

When Quezacotle's statue was back in its proper place, everyone turned to leave the temple. "Cielo," Paco asked finally, "what did you mean when you told Quezacotle that you shared an element?"

Cielo shrugged, remembering the powerful resonation he'd felt in the awakened god's presence. "My power, like his, is strongest in the element of the Sky." To demonstrate, he held up his albatross wishbone. "Also, my most easily cast chi spell, the beam of light, draws power from the sun to amplify it. That triggered the resonation."

"I see," Paco said, not noticing the look of relief that briefly crossed Jade's face. Turning to Jade, he continued. "Still, Yade, can you believe Quezacotle mistook you for a goddess?"

"I don't know," Cielo pipped up before Jade could respond. "I can believe it."

Jade blushed at the compliment. "Aw, Ci, you're sweet." Neither of them noticed the glower Paco was directing in Cielo's direction. 


	6. Mother Knows Best

6. Mother Knows Best

On the flight to India, Jade and Cielo sat together, talking about recent events covering the last 5 magical animals they'd managed to recover, saving them from Daolon Wong.

"That was quite a line you threw at the Monkey King at the Kilaweia Volcano, Ci," Jade reminisced happily. "Say it again!"

"Alright," Ci said happily. He made his face serious. "Your brand of slapstick, Monkey King, got old centuries ago. No one enjoys watching such things anymore, and a comedian is nothing without an audience."

"Ooh, BURN!" Jade laughed happily. "You seemed really at ease in Malaysia helping me retrieve Egbert. Why didn't the heights bother you?"

Cielo looked at her with a raised eyebrow, grinning slightly.

"Oh, right, stupid question." Jade chuckled nervously. "But remember Jackie's face when you were talking to Farmer Macdonald?"

"How could I forget?" Ci said happily, grinning as he recalled it.

"Now what's a city feller like you want with a 280 pound Hampshire boar?" Farmer Macdonald asked, as they all stood around watching Mordechai roll in the mud.

As Jackie struggled with a reason, Cielo decided to go for broke. "Recently, ancient magic was released from vessels that had long contained it. The magic scattered around the world, seeking vessles. Mordechai has become the vessel of some of this magic, and evil people seek to claim his magic. We're here to protect it."

Jackie started to choke a bit, certain they were about to be kicked off the farm.

"I'll buy that," Farmer Macdonald said calmly. "Makes sense. Is that what that beam of light coming down in my field a few nights back was? It didn't have the right wavelength to be anything of natural or spatial origins, so it weren't swamp gas or aliens."

"Yes, that was the magic," Cielo said, as Jackie tried to pick his jaw up off the ground and Jade giggled. "We have a place where Mordechai will be safe from the evil wizard who seeks the power he contains. The problem is, it's in California."

"That ain't no problem," Farmer Macdonald said happily. "Mordechai's carrier's still hooked up to the truck. We can drive him out there. You will be bringing him back once this is all settled, won't you?"

"Of course. We'd also be honored if, once all the magic is dealt with, you'd make a home for Egbert here." Cielo gestured to the rooster in his cage. "If you'll take me to the carrier, I have everything I need to enchant it to keep Mordechai from accidentally activating the magic he contains, as well as make the evil wizard blind to his presence." Uncle, as a precaution, had taken the time to make sure Cielo knew the spells and had the ingredients with him to work independently if needed.

"Sure thing! Come on, me and my boys will show you where to go." Farmer Macdonald turned and led Cielo, Jade, and Jackie around to the carrier.

"You gotta be kidding me," Jackie muttered, as Jade held back laughter.

"I'm sorry I wasn't much help with Lucky," Cielo continued as he finished reminiscing. "I'm not to good at high speeds."

"It's okay," Jade said. "We got it covered, and Lucky made it safely to Section 13 with the other animals. And..." Jade fidgeted uncomfortably. "Sorry about the awkwardness in Scotland."

"No problem," Ci said with a smile. "I'm just glad I was with Uncle at the time. Can you imagine what would have happened if I got involved in the body swapping?"

Jade shuddered at the thought. "That could have been bad."

At that point, the announcment said they were approaching the final descent, and Jade and Cielo got ready to land.

When Jade and the others made it back to the hotel, while Tohru brought Jackie into another room so Uncle (and Tohru's Mom) could treat his snake bite, Tohru's Mom turned to Jade. "Now Jade, aren't you going to introduce me to your adorable boyfriend?"

"Mrs. T!" Jade said, blushing a bit. "Ci's not my boyfriend!"

Ci chuckled a bit at Jade's discomfiture, and sidestepped the punch she threw. He extended a hand. "Mrs. T, I'm Cielo Torres. I'm Jade's friend from school. Uncle was kind enough to allow me to accompany them on their trip."

"Well aren't you a nice boy," Mrs. T said happily. "Don't take too long making up your mind, Jade. This one's a keeper, and if you aren't careful, some other girl might snatch him up."

"Mrs. T!" Jade was bright red now, feeling rather mortified.

Tohru's Mom wasn't done, however. "You know, if you two want to go around the city to see the sights together, it would be a wonderful idea. I'd be happy to act as chaperone. At your age, I think you need it. Why, when I was your age..."

Jade and Cielo looked at each other in desperation. Jackie suddenly moaned from the other room.

"...never mind. I'll tell you more later. Right now I have to make sure the billy goat doesn't accidentally poison Jackie." She turned and went into the other room to argue with Uncle about proper snake bite treatments.

Cielo turned to Jade. "This trip can't be over too soon," he said, looking somewhat terrified. "How can a harmless old woman be more frightening than the Monkey King, the dark chi warriors, and Daolon Wong combined?"

"I know what you mean," Jade said, hands pressed to her flaming cheeks.

Later, once the noble snake was succesfully retrieved and Tohru's Mon was given the correct remedy to render her visible again, everyone got ready to say their goodbyes.

Tohru's Mom knelt to give Jade and Cielo a big hug goodbye. "Now you two be good," she said with a wink. "Don't get caught doing anything I wouldn't do."

As everyone left, Jade glanced towards Cielo. "Why did she specify, 'Don't get caught'?"

"I'm not going to think about it," Cielo said, trying not to think about the implied suggestion she had been making. "We shouldn't be thinking like that at this age."

"Oh." Jade, in a surprise manuever, pulled up the hood of her orange hoodie over her face to hide her blush. Touching her charm briefly, she thought to Cielo, *Being a year older than I am makes some things REALLY hard, you know?*

Not knowing what to say, Cielo settled for showing emotional support by holding Jade's hand. Neither were aware of their matching blushes that led to questioning glances from Uncle, Jackie, and Tohru. 


	7. First Christmas

7. First Christmas

Cielo wandered the shop, helping to decorate it for Christmas. It felt somewhat strange, a demon in human skin preparing to celebrate Christmas, but he was content. For once in his life, this time of year brought joy to him, instead of the impotent rage he always felt this time of year back when he was trapped in the Demon Netherworld, or the deep sadness he had felt when he couldn't celebrate it with Jade in Demon World. He was happy...but at the same time, a deep sadness filled him.

As he understood it, Christmas was supposed to be a time of family, when distant relatives gathered to celebrate being a family. But he had no family. He had turned his back on his bretheren for the sake of love, and so on a day of togetherness, he was alone.

Glancing around, he saw Uncle and Tohru talking about how Tohru's mother was coming to visit. He was mildly amused at Uncle's attempts to be pleasant about it, but this only brought sadness and mild fear. Tohru had family coming, and she scared him.

He heard Jade insisting there was no Santa Claus, and Uncle's insistence that Santa existed. He decided to add his own two cents, silently. Taking his charm in hand, he sent, *Jade, Santa does exist.*

Taking her own charm in hand, she sent back, *Really? How do you know that? You spent most of your long years of life in the Netherworld, as I recall.* There was no rancor or malice in her sent thought, merely tolerant amusement.

*How else do you explain 7 lumps of coal making its way into the Netherworld every year on Christmas Eve for the past 900 years?* He chuckled at the memories, and at Jade's attempts to come up with a rational explanation.

When the elf, Elvin, showed up, however, Cielo got nervous. The elf apparently couldn't sense his true nature, but that didn't make him any less nervous.

He gladly tagged along on the quest to 'save Christmas', but he didn't try to go on the rescue mission. For one, an 'eleven year old boy' wouldn't be much help, no matter what abilities he had. For another, he was afraid Santa would see his true nature, and either spill the beans or something equally bad for him. As such, he encouraged Jade's notion to assemble the J Team for this, and joined Jade and Paco in assisting Tohru in filling in for Santa.

He had to be honest with himself, though. It wasn't just fear of Santa that nudged him that way. He didn't like the idea of Jade going anywhere with Paco without him. He knew why: possessive jealousy. He wasn't surprised, he just didn't like that side of him all that much.

After the third delivery, however, the reindeer dragged them off to Santa's location, and Daolon Wong was sent away with his parting "Bah! Humbug!" Santa thanked Tohru for his assistance, and lifted Jade and Paco out of the sleigh.

As he lifted Cielo, though, he said something rather cryptic. "I am not the only one who has had an eye on you, Sky Child," he whispered. "Nor am I the only one well pleased. Good luck to you." Setting Cielo down, he boarded his sleigh and flew off into the night.

Come morning they began to exchange gifts. Cielo came over to Jade with his gift to her. "I...I hope you like it Jade. I made it myself." He handed her the box.

She opened it carefully and gasped. It was a hand woven charm bracelet with one charm currently attatched: a small black jade stone with the kanji for 'good fortune' inscribed in gold. "Ci, it's wonderful!" she said, hugging him. "Thank you!" She handed him a gift. "Mine's not quite so...extravegant, I'm afraid."

He unwrapped the gift. It was a copy of "Wizard of Oz." Cielo chuckled happily. "I love it," he said. "It's a gift of memories." Touching his Yin charm, he sent, *After all, this is how I first made you smile.*

*I know,* she sent back, smiling happily. *It's a part of that time I don't ever want to forget.*

*Me neither.* They both then discovered the gifts left for them from Santa.

Cielo opened his carefully, discovering a picture frame with picture, and a note. The picture showed a young man and woman, smiling, arm in arm. The man had midnight black hair and silver eyes. The woman had golden hair and hazel eyes. Both were dressed in black and had European features. The note was written in an old tongue, but to Cielo's eyes read plainly, "Know that you are loved."

Cielo's eyes teared up. Jade came over to him. "Ci, what's wrong?"

"It's...it's my parents." He traced the human features they had taken on. "They..." He whispered so only Jade could hear, "...they approve of what I'm doing."

Jade smiled, hugging him tight. "You know what else this means? You got a present from Santa. You're on the nice list."

Cielo smiled, wiping away tears of joy. He gladly joined in with the rest of the festivities, and stood beside Jade when the group photo was taken. With a great weight of guilt from the betrayal lifted from his shoulders, he was happy to discover that he belonged. 


	8. End of the Quest

8. End of the Quest

When Jackie and the others left to London to get the Horse, Cielo attempted to comfort Jade. "Don't be so down, Jade. It'll just be the two of us - and Captain Black, but he's easily evaded if neccessarry - hanging out. We'll have time to just be ourselves."

"Yeah, and that might be fun...if I were older!" Jade stormed off back into the magic lab. "As is, what is there to do? Read books I can't understand? Play video games I've already beaten? Homework?" Jade started mixing up the potion. "Maybe if I'm older, Jackie would let me go to London, and this grow up potion will help."

Jade stood for a time, waiting for the potion to work. Cielo sighed. "If you really want to go to London," he said, shifting his form. "You merely have to ask," Hsi Wu said with a smile. "You get your own private flight."

Smiling, Jade hopped onto Hsi Wu's back between his wings, wrapping her arms around his neck. "What are we gonna do about Captain Black, though?"

Hsi Wu smiled and grabbed a piece of paper, quickly jotting down a note. "Sign this."

The note said, "Spending time with Cielo. BBL." Smiling, Jade signed it. Hsi Wu left it on the table, locked up the shop, and took off into the air. "Are we going to be able to catch up?" Jade asked. "It's a long way to London."

"Catch up?" Hsi Wu laughed as he began gathering his magic. "We'll beat them there!" Casting his speed spell, a bubble of magic surrounded them, and they took off like a shot. Windows rattled in their wake.

Jade and Hsi Wu got there a couple of hours ahead of Jackie and the others. As Hsi Wu changed back into Cielo, Jade turned to him. "We got here well ahead of the others. How do we spend the time?"

Cielo smiled. "How about we find the horse and have him - or her - ready for transport by the time they get here?"

"And how are we to do that without Uncle's locator spell?"

Smirking, Cielo pulled out his albatross wishbone. "When I hold it like this, I can track down magic, like a dowling rod. As long as I know what magic I'm looking for, it will guide me there. It'll be easier if we're in the right general area, which is why I dropped us at the racetrack. Where else are you going to find horses in London?"

Jade smiled. "Good thinking, Ci. Jackie's sure to want to take me along on future missions!"

"If only so he doesn't have to wonder where you are!"

"Hey!" They shared a laugh, and before long found the horse in question, 'Royal Medicine.' "So, now what? How do we get this horse back home?"

"Well, we-" Cielo stopped, staring at Jade. "Jade, I think you may have messed up the grow up spell."

"What makes you say that?" she asks.

"You're expanding. You're getting bigger, but showing no signs of age."

"Uh...that's bad, isn't it?"

"Well, if you didn't add a limiter enchantment, you'll end up a 50 foot tall 11 year old."

"Ouch. I don't want that!"

"Don't worry, I've got an idea." Cielo gently touched the wishbone to Royal Medicine. "Yu Mo Gwai Gwaai Fai Di Zao...Yu Mo Gwai Gwaai Fai Di Zao..." After a time of chanting, the horses eyes flashed, and the wishbone glowed white. Still chanting, Cielo touched the wishbone to Jade. There was a bright flash of light, and Jade was back to normal.

"Whew!" she said, releaved. "Maybe I should be more careful about my use of magic. Now, how do we get the horse out of here?"

"We could ride him."

Not having any better ideas, they did.

At the airport, Jackie got off the plane. "Now, Uncle, where will we find-"

"Hi Jackie!"

Jackie looked up to see Jade and Cielo on the back of Royal Medicine, waving.

"...the horse. Jade! What are you doing here? Captain Black said your note said you were spending time with Cielo!"

Cielo shrugged. "She seemed down from being left out of the mission, so I bought us two tickets on the supersonic. Wanted to get here in time to meet you, but wound up getting here first. Since my wishbone had the locator spell on it, we decided to track down the horse."

Jackie sighed. "You gotta be kidding me."

One hour later, Daolon Wong was very confused to arrive in London and find no trace of the power of the horse.

As they climbed the Himalayas, Cielo noticed Jade getting tired. "Here," he said. "You're getting tired. I'll carry you."

Jade gratefully climbed onto his back. "How is it you're not tired?" she asked ruefully.

"Heights agree with me. The higher we get, the stronger I feel." He winked at her over his shoulder. "It's in the blood."

"Cheater," she grumbled, riding his back the rest of the way up the mountain.

Jackie, noticing Cielo climbing with Jade on his back without breaking a sweat, while he and Tohru were close to exhaustion, mumbled, "No way he's human."

Uncle, passing by on Tohru's back, smacked Jackie on the temple. "It is Cielo's magic! He is strongly tied to the element of Sky! The higher we get, the more his magic empowers him. At the mountains peak, he will likely be as strong as the Ox we are seeking!"

Jackie thought about that. "He'll be as strong as wielding the Ox Talisman WITHOUT the talisman? That's rather frightening."

"Pfeh! Cielo is good boy, has sound judgement. Good influence on Jade. We can trust him."

Jade was surprised at Cielo's sudden chuckle, as they were by now 30 feet further up the mountain than the others. "What's so funny?"

"Uncle thinks I'm a good influence on you."

Jade started to chuckle. "I wonder which would be funnier. If he were wrong, or if he were right?"

Later, when Uncle was casting his spell to transfer the Ox magic to a new vessel, Daolon Wong showed up, along with the transformed Hak Foo. As Jackie and Tohru engaged him, Jade turned to Cielo. "Ci! Why don't you help?"

"We're not high enough up!" he said desperately. "My magic doesn't strengthen me enough. He'd break me in half!"

"Then what are we going to do?"

"I don't know if we can do anything right now. Let's just hope Uncle knows what he's doing, and manages to pull it off."

When Daolon Wong left with Uncle's essence trapped in the sphere, Jade was surprised at Cielo's grin. "What are you so happy about?" she demanded.

Smiling, he held his wishbone to Uncle's body. It glowed green and rang like a bell. "Uncle found a good hiding spot for the Ox power. Now we just need to get Uncle back. Let's get to the monastery."

"Right." Jade walked near Cielo while Tohru carried Uncle.

At the monastery, they discussed their plans. "Okay, we know Uncle hid the Ox power in his body. But how long before Daolon Wong gets that information out of Uncle?" Jackie asked.

"The best bet would be to have some of us stay here to guard Uncle, while others went to retrieve Uncle's life force from Daolon Wong." Cielo stepped forward. "Direct confrontation won't work. Hak Fu is too powerful right now for a physical battle. I volunteer to attempt to retrieve the sphere, at which point we will attempt to release Uncle from it."

"No," Jackie said quickly. "It is too dangerous."

Cielo held up his wishbone, and magic pulsed from his entire body. "Have you forgotten how much stronger my magic is up here? I've studied quite a few of Uncle's texts recently, and I'm confident I can get in and out without being noticed. If nothing else, I can guarantee Daolon Wong and Hak Fu will be unable to catch me. If you went, Jackie, it would not go so well." He turned. "Also, given how much stronger my magic is...do you really think you can stop me?"

Jackie sighed. "Just...be careful, okay?"

"I will be." Cielo turned to leave. Jade caught up to him on his way out. "Jade?"

She hugged him tight. "If you don't come back in one piece, I'll never forgive you."

He returned the hug. "Don't worry, Jade. I'll be fine." With that, he raced into the forest, changed, and took wing.

Once at Daolon Wong's fortress, he paused. "Now, how to do this. I can't carry the sphere in this form: Uncle would see." He shifted back to human form. "I'll have to make it back on foot, so I'd best go through on foot. Unless..." Cielo looked thoughtful. "...I take a risk." He reached out to touch the air in front of him. "Ju Ichi Bu Shun Li...Ju ichi Bu Shun Li..." Chanting the evil spell, Cielo opened a portal...and a rather large Gorilla-bat stepped through.

The creature took one look at Cielo and bowed deeply. "Master," it grunted in a deep gravely voice. It's eyes glowed a bright green.

CIelo had lucked out. He had gotten one of the Battle Masters, one ape armies. "What is your name?" he asked the creature.

"Gratch!" he replied. "Gratch serve Master!"

"Good. However, once I give you your mission, you are not to refer to me as Master. I am in hiding, from forces on all sides. Understand?"

Gratch nodded. "Mission?"

"Inside is a dark wizard. He has a new Dark Chi Warrior. Engage the warrior in battle as a distraction so I may recover the sphere containing the life force of the good wizard."

Gratch nodded. "Master, good luck with girl!" With a chuckle, Gratch flew into the fortress, chanting, "Oh eee oh, Eee oh, Umh!"

Blinking, Cielo smacked his forehead. "That's why they laughed!" Shaking his head, he went in after, muttering, "Since when are the servants smarter than the master?"

Gratch provided ample distraction, as he was able to battle the amplified Hak Fu on an even level. As their battle trashed the fortress, Cielo was able to sneak the sphere out.

Once outside, Uncle began to throw questions at Cielo. "Cielo! Why did you come to rescue me? One more thing, where did that demon servant come from? It is one of Hsi Wu's creatures. One more thing, how did you time the rescue so well with its attack on Hak Fu? One more thing, why did it attack Hak Fu?"

Cielo sighed as he ran. "In order: a direct confrontation would have been fruitless, so my amplified magic from the altitude was considered the best chance at rescuing you, and it would have been best if I went alone; when I saw I couldn't sneak in, I tapped into my darker powers to summon something to aid me in rescuing you, and Gratch back there is who showed up."

"Of course! That is why your element strengthens you and why you have such powerful magic! Your demon blood must be from Hsi Wu, the sky demon! That is why his servant creatures obey you!" Uncle nodded within the sphere. "This is good! If his creature's obey you and do good work, then it is an advantage for you against the dark forces. But be careful, and do not call on these powers to frequently, lest you fall prey to dark temptations!"

Cielo nodded. "I don't intend to. We're almost back, and-" From back in the direction of the fortress, there was a loud explosion. "-Gratch just finished his mission. He'll probably just find a roost somewhere, now, and await being called on again for new orders. He was surprisingly good natured about the whole thing."

After getting Uncle's head back into his body, Uncle put the Ox power back in the yak, and they transferred the yak back to Section 13. Cielo sat on the plane, looking relatively contrite as Jade lectured him on his recklessness. Jackie tried very hard not to laugh. 


	9. Unfair Games

9. Unfair Games

Ms. Hardman looked down at Jade and Cielo in class when they returned from Spring Break. "Everyone else has managed to come up with an exhibit for this years school fair. I expect this from you by now, Jade, but I had hoped you would not influence our new student to follow along the same lines. What are your excuses?"

Jade chuckled nervously. "Would you believe I had to help rescue a super strong yak from dark forces?" The class laughed uproariously.

Ms. Hardman turned to Cielo. "And what, pray tell, is your excuse, Cielo?"

Cielo thought fast. "Actually, I do have an idea and a prepared presentation for the fair...but I come across a problem in that it calls for someone to work with me, and the rules were for individual presentations."

"Oh?" Ms. Hardman asked, intruiged. "What is your idea?"

"Well, I was thinking of doing a magic show...but I would need an assistant. I've practiced my act with Jade, but..."

Jade tried not to act too surprised at this assertion. Once again nearly a year of concealing her true thoughts and feelings that hadn't happened came to her aid.

Ms. Hardman thought for a time. "Can't you get an adult to act as your assistant?"

"I'm afraid not. Preparing the act takes a lot of effort, since it's going to culminate in sawing them in half." The class got really excited at this suggestion, gossiping amongst themselves.

Ms. Hardman smiled. "Very well. It seems you do have something rather extravagant planned, and since you've practiced your act with Jade...we'll set up a special booth as part of the fair so everyone can come take a look at a preappointed time. Don't dissapoint, Cielo."

"I don't intend to."

Later, on the way home, Jade turned to Cielo. "Ci, thanks for pulling my bacon out of the fryer there, but it seems like we're in an even bigger problem now. We don't have an act prepared, and...sawing me in half? Do you even know how to do most of that? And we can't go with a straight magic option, Uncle will be in the audience! He'll know if we're doing that!"

Cielo waited for her to calm down, then faced her. "Jade, trust me to know what I am doing. The sawing in half we'll have to work on, but don't worry about the rest of it. Sleight of hand and the like have been a hobby of mine long before I began attending school with you. Trust me to take care of everything. For most of the act, all you will have to do is trust my directions and look pretty." He smiled at her. "We might have to work on the first, but you are overqualified for the second."

About to take umbrage at the first part of the statement, Jade blushed as she heard the second. "Where did you learn to turn a compliment so well?" she asked him.

"Sincerity," he said simply. "Everything works better when said if you mean it."

Jade looked away, smiling and blushing. "So, what all do we need to do to prepare?"

Cielo cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Well, first you'll need a...costume."

Jade blinked a few times. Then her eyes narrowed. "And what did you have in mind for my costume, anyway, Ci?" Her voice, while melting moments before, was now hard.

"Don't worry. It won't be that bad."

Uncle, Jackie, and Tohru filed into the seats that had been prepared for the big show. "This ought to be fun to watch. A magic show...without magic." Jackie was glad of the break.

"Hmm. Uncle will judge how magic this show really is!"

"Please, let us just enjoy the show. It should be fun!" Tohru sat in three seats, holding a large bucket of popcorn that had been for sale. He also held the large Super Moose plushie he'd won at a different booth for Jade.

Once all the seats were filled, Cielo turned away from peeking through the curtain, straightening his blue doublet and hat. "Looks like the shows about to begin. Are you ready...princess?"

Jade was dressed in a princess outfit identical to that worn by Jasmine in "Aladdin," but in white. They had gone for an arabian look for their show, and had practiced a few tricks. Smiling, Jade stepped forward. "As ready as I'll ever be."

"Okay, then. Let's begin!" Cielo stepped through the curtain.

"Ladies and Gentleman! Boys and Girls! ...and anyone that missed!" Laughter greeted this last statement. "Welcome to this display of ancient magical secrets and stupefication, for your entertainment! These secrets have been kept and passed down, from generation to generation, until today they reside in me. And now without further ado, may I present the Mystic Might of the Sky Lord!" With that, Cielo bent his knees and leapt into the air, flipping a few times before coming to land on a clear glass platform set some distance above the stage. The result made it appear as though he had landed on air. "And of course, my lovely assisstant...The Light Princess!" He snapped his hands out, which triggered the curtains swinging open, revealing the palanquin Jade was laying on, with a spotlight shining down on her. As the crowd "Oohed," Cielo carefully walked down the glass platforms, seeming to climb down a staircase of air. "We are here today to give you a show you will never forget!" And then the show was under way.

At first it was the rather simple tricks: pick a card, juggling, knife throw...each with a bit of added flare. Cielo picked the card out of an identical deck from across the room. The balls he juggled danced around the room, bouncing around people's hands as they tried to grab at them, before they vanished completely. The knife throwing was done as both of them were blindfolded...although there was a brief intermission to repair Jade's costume when one thrown knife landed a little too close to her side where she stood against the wall.

After the brief intermission, they moved onto some more advanced tricks. Levitation was performed using a carefully prepared platform. Cielo did one trick where he claimed he was hypnotizing Jade...but for comic effect, they acted as though the 'spell' had backfired, with Cielo hypnotized. And finally, the climax: sawing Jade in half.

Wheeling out the box, Cielo began to describe what would happen, with comic warnings of "never tried this particular trick before," "the squeamish may want to leave now," and asking Jade, "You did sign the liability waver, right?" After the laughter, Cielo loaded Jade into the box with her feet apparently sticking out the other end. Then, with a great deal more showmanship, Cielo sawed the box in half, turning the two halves to show the audience the cut ends. After due drama, Cielo put the two halves of the box back together, and 'magically' made Jade whole again.

The show was a hit. The cheers were deafening.

After the show, Jackie and the others met with Jade and Cielo once they were changed. "That was a very good show," Jackie said happily.

"Yes. Uncle was very impressed. No true magic utilized."

"How did you do all of that?" Tohru asked in amazement.

Cielo smiled. "A magician never reveals his..." His voice trailed off. He suddenly clutched his head.

"Ci!" Jade ran to his side. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Then came the voice, as dark clouds gathered on the horizon and a surge of evil magic could be felt. The voice echoed in their minds.

*I...LIVE!*

Cielo stared off into the distance at the focus of the magic. "Shendu..." he whispered, almost too quiet to be heard.

"He's back..." Jade whispered in fear. 


	10. The Demon you Know

10. The Demon you Know

Cielo, given his collapse, was taken to the nurse's office rather rapidly. Uncle, however, took his warning to heart. "We must return to Section 13 to protect the animals! I will research a way to combat Shendu!"

"But how could Shendu return?" Jackie demanded, starting up the car.

"Duh!" Jade interrupted. "Daolon Wong wants the power of the dragon Talismans, and dark magic includes ressurection spells! He probably made a deal with Shendu to trade a ressurection for the power...and knowing Shendu, he double crossed Daolon Wong as soon as he had what he wanted!"

Uncle nodded. "Exactly! We must hurry!"

Unfortunately, they weren't fast enough. Daolon Wong had given Shendu the exact location of Section 13, and he had torn through its unprepared defenses like tissue paper with his combustion power. He stood in the center of Section 13, roaring his triumph as he absorbed Sasha's power.

"And Tiger makes 12!" he called out, roaring his triumph. "I am complete! Brother! Where are you?"

Jade gasped. Turning, she made to run, grabbing her Yang charm. *Hsi! Shendu's after you! Hide!*

Cielo, under the watchful eyes of the school nurse, couldn't get away. He knew he would have to change form to fight his brother, and he couldn't do that where people could see...so he set his priorities. "Gratch..." he whispered, "...protect her."

From his perch atop the Golden Gate, Gratch spread his wings. "Master!" Gratch took flight and dove.

Shendu turned around, sniffing. "Chan! It seems I can destroy all my enemies in one fell swoop!" He hurled a blast of fire magic towards where Jackie was hiding with Uncle and Tohru. They didn't have a chance to run...but the magic was dispelled by a strong twister that appeared in the air in front of them.

Gratch landed lightly, grinning. He'd always wanted to see how a Battle Master would stand up against a Demon Sorcerer, but his loyalty meant he would never face one. But now he had orders to do just that. So he spoke to Shendu in the old tongue. "I bet your REAL father was a gecko who sold car insurance!"

"YOU DARE!" Shendu lunged forward, intent on tearing Gratch to pieces with his bare hands.

Grinning, Gratch lunged in to meet his charge.

Cielo had managed to get a moment alone without the nurse around. He immediately leapt out the window, changed form mid fall and took wing. He sought out some way of defeating Shendu in his memory, but there was only one spell he knew of that could work, and he didn't know it. However, he did know that Daolon Wong probably knew it, and he knew how to deal with Dark Wizards.

Daolon Wong turned to lead his armored Warriors out of his loft...and was confronted with a Demon. "Hsi Wu! How are you outside the Netherworld?"

"That's not your problem," Hsi Wu said, snapping his fingers. A focused blast of magic struck Daolon Wong's staff crystal, shattering it. The Dark Warriors were transformed back into their human selves. Before they could react, nearby ropes came to life and bound them up.

Daolon Wong tried to battle Hsi Wu, but Hsi Wu had lost patience. It would only be a matter of time before Shendu went after Jade to draw him out, so he had to hurry. Seizing Daolon Wong by his throat, he pulled him eye to eye. "Do you know how many times you can die in your own mind?" he asked, his voice a dangerous whisper. Daolon Wong shook his head. "Would you care to find out?" Daolon Wong shook his head so vigorously it looked like it would fall off. "Then you will do as I say, or you will face the worst my wrath can bring. Before too much longer, the good chi wizard will be here, seeking a spell. It is a spell I know you know. You will give it to him. Do whatever you wish to preserve image or anything else, but if the wizard does not leave with the spell, I will find you...and nothing will protect you from my vengeance." Hsi Wu's eyes glowed, and Daolon Wong's mind filled with images of what Hsi Wu would do to him if he did not do as he wished. Daolon Wong screamed in terror. "I'm so glad we understand each other." Hsi Wu bound Daolon Wong to the wall and took flight.

Shendu casually tossed Gratch aside, and Gratch groaned. He'd lasted longer than expected against a fully powered Demon Sorcerer: a full 30 minutes, and he'd actually managed to land some serious blows. If not for the power of the Horse healing every injury so quickly, Gratch might have actually won! It was only when Shendu managed a lucky grab and caught Gratch by his tail that the battle ended. Gratch pulled himself up, though. He may be beaten and have broken wings, but he had his orders.

Shendu blasted him backwards, and Gratch lost conciousness. Shendu roared into the sky. "Brother! Is this how you face me? Sending your servant to do battle? I know you are here, and I will find and destroy you for your betrayal!" He turned, sniffing the air. "Hmm...it seems the Chans have escaped." Shendu flew off into the air, questing.

Down below him, in the zoo, he saw something that made him smile. "The child! Know this brother mine! If you do not come and face me soon, the child will feel my wrath!" Shendu dove, claws outstretched.

Jade turned in fear. She knew Shendu would be after her as well, and had thought the zoo would be a good place to hide. After all, she couldn't face a full fledged demon unaided. However, she hadn't managed to make it into one of the cages yet. As Shendu descended, she screamed.

Shendu was knocked out of the Sky by a flying kick. Hsi Wu landed between Jade and Shendu. "You will not touch her, brother!"

"Hsi Wu! You will now pay DEARLY for your betrayal!" Shendu and Hsi Wu lunged for each other, and battle was joined.

Jade, backing away from the titanic struggle, watched in awe and fear. The two seemed evenly matched. Although Hsi Wu was smaller, he was far more manuverable and knew Shendu's fighting style. He was landing several blows, while Shendu was unable to land a single strike. However, the blows Hsi Wu landed didn't do serious damage. Then Jade realized they weren't supposed to. Hsi Wu knew he couldn't damage or exhaust Shendu: the Talisman powers meant he couldn't be defeated in direct combat. However, every strike delivered was designed to cause intense pain and make Shendu angry. The angrier he got, the more wild his fighting became, giving Hsi Wu more time to evade each strike. Hsi Wu was buying time! But time for what?

Whatever it was, Jade hoped it came soon. Hsi Wu was tiring. A lucky backhand sent Hsi Wu tumbling through the air.

"You cannot win, brother!" Shendu proclaimed. "Empowered as I am, I will eventually crush you and all you hold dear! You are only delaying the inevitable!"

Hsi Wu shook himself off...and then his ears twitched. He grinned. "But that was my strategy. Delay. And I've delayed long enough!"

Jade and Shendu turned in confusion. Then they heard the drums. Shendu turned and saw Uncle approaching at the head of a group of Section 13 agents, preparing the spell. "No! Not that spell!" He blasted them with fire, but the shield surrounding them deflected it.

"It's over Shendu!" Hsi Wu proclaimed, grinning. "You lose!"

"Maybe," Shendu said, turning. "But your victory will not be without price!" He threw a searing blast of fire...right at Jade!

Jade screamed, unable to dodge in time...and was surprised when she felt no pain. Then she heard another scream, and wished it were otherwise. "Hsi!"

Hsi Wu hadn't had time to pull Jade out of the way...but he'd had time to position himself between her and the fire. Spreading his wings wide and focusing his magic, he took the brunt of the blast. He was able to avoid being fully consumed before Shendu was returned to his stone prison...but as he fell, he knew: he would not survive the night. "Jade..." he whispered, wanting to be sure she had survived.

Suddenly, he felt something stone pressed into his palm, and a flare of magic. The pain receded, and he opened his eyes. Jade stood over him, looking worried. Glancing down, he saw Jade had pressed the horse talisman into his hand. He smiled at her, then noticed everyone staring. Giving her back the Talisman, he did what he had to once more protect her. He took wing.

Jade watched as Hsi Wu flew off, knowing he was well now. Then she heard her name being called.

"Jade!" Jackie stalked towards her. "What were you thinking, healing a demon? Now he has escaped, he is somewhere on Earth...somehow! Who knows what he is planning next!"

Normally, Jade would take these lectures without arguement. However, in this case, she had to speak up. "In case you hadn't noticed, Jackie, he saved my life! If he hadn't thrown himself in the path of the fire, I'd have been consumed! As is, it took all his magic to stay corporeal long enough to keep me safe! Of course I'm going to save the one who saved me! He may be a demon, but I'M not a monster!"

"Who knows why he did what he did!" Jackie shouted. "But he is a demon, and demons are evil! You know this!"

"No! What I know is that someone just nearly threw their own life away to save mine, with no expectation of survival, and you would have had me let them die when I could save them! Who's sounding evil here? Cause from where I'm standing, it's not the demon!" Jade wasn't aware of the tears streaming from her eyes. "What is wrong with you Uncle Jackie?" Turning, she ran. She didn't know where she was going, but just now she couldn't face Jackie, not after what he had said.

She heard him calling after her, but just now she didn't care. Making several quick turns getting lost to his sight, she reached into her jacket. *Hsi, come get me, please!* Within a few moments she felt strong arms scoop her up and carry her into the air.

Hsi Wu held Jade tenderly, carrying her away from the pain she had fled from. 


	11. The Demon you Don't

11. The Demon you Don't

Hsi Wu flew downwards as he approached his place of residence. It was a nice enough place, one of the Painted Ladies as they were referred to, the old Victorian style houses in the area. He'd renovated the roof and interior a bit to make it suit his needs, while getting a bit of help to make it look well lived in, although he spent very little time there. As he swooped in, he felt Jade start to calm herself down.

"Thanks," she whispered. "I guess I just needed some air." She sighed, then glanced down. "What's this place?"

"My house," he said, smiling. "You like it?"

Jade blinked a bit. "These places are pretty costly! How'd you pay for it?"

Hsi Wu chuckled. "Well, would you agree with me that, especially after tonight, my brother owes me big?"

Jade goggled at him, then laughed uproariously. "You raided the treasure of Shin Shi Wa? Shendu's gonna be pissed if he finds out!"

"And I care why? He wants me dead anyway, and it's not like he cursed his treasure trove. And it's not like he has a use for it." Hsi Wu glided in through one of the larger upper floor windows, settling down on a metal plate laid down on the floor.

An elderly gentlemen stood there, smiling. "Welcome back, sir. How did your meeting with your brother go?"

"Well, Sebastian. Well." Hsi Wu set Jade down on her feet, and she stared at the man, confused. Hsi Wu smiled. "Sebastian is my mayordomo. He takes care of the house while I'm out, as well as managing my financial accounts, including handling converting what I raid from the treasure into modern currency. I couldn't manage my life here without him."

Sebastian smiled. "You are too kind, sir."

Jade blinked for a time, then spoke up. "Sebastian...you don't find your employer's...appearance at all disquieting?"

Sebastian chuckled. "I am payed quite handsomely to neither ask nor answer questions regarding my employer. This is a good job, and one I am good at. It is not difficult maintaining Cielo Torres' story, now that I have been breifed on all the details. Shall I send for dinner, sir, or would you prefer to cook?"

"I think send out for dinner, Sebastian. I also think an extra room should be made up for the night." At Jade's surprise, Hsi Wu smiled as he shifted back to human form. "I don't know what it was that sent you running and calling me, but I imagine it has something to do with your uncle Jackie's reaction to your actions. I figured you'd not want to return home tonight."

Jade nodded. "It's okay if I stay here?"

Cielo smiled. "Jade, you can stay here whenever you wish, for whatever you need. Mi casa es tu casa, as they say."

Jade giggled. "Thanks. Can we get a pizza?"

"I'll place the order," Sebastian said, bowing himself out.

Cielo led Jade to the dining room and sat down with her to wait for the pizza. "So...do you want to talk about it?"

Jade shook her head. "Not really. ...but I need to, don't I?"

"I won't push you...but keeping it in is hurting you, and I don't like to see you in pain."

Jade nodded. "Jackie...he acted like I'd done something wrong healing you! Like...like you were an evil monster, and it would have been better if I'd just let you die, even though you did what you did to save me!"

Cielo sighed. "He's just worried about you. What I did implies I have a reason to keep you alive, and from his perspective demons are evil creatures, therefor my purpose must be evil. He doesn't know about the year that didn't happen: only we do. He was out of line, but he only said what he did because of how much he cares about you."

"I know." Jade shook her head, wiping away tears. "That's why it hurt telling him off like I did. But I couldn't stay quiet, you know?"

Cielo touched her arm. "Don't worry. I'm sure Uncle will have words for him."

"You think Uncle will be on my side in this?"

"I'm virtually certain of it." At that point, Sebastian came in with the pizza.

After eating, Cielo escorted Jade to her room and left her to sleep. He turned and headed towards his own room, one he'd never slept in before today. He stopped before he got there. "Sebastian, get me the phone, and the number for Uncle's Rare Finds."

"Of course, sir." Sebastian handed him the phone and a card. "It's right here."

Smiling, Cielo dialed and held the phone to his ear.

At Uncle's Rare Finds, earlier...

"Ow!" Jackie winced as Uncle struck him on the temple. "What was that for?"

"For how you talked to Jade!" Uncle glared at Jackie. "Jade did right to heal the one who risked his life to save her, whatever his reasons. One more thing!" He struck Jackie on the temple again, eliciting another 'Ow!' "Shendu sought our destruction, but Hsi Wu fought him. That means Shendu and Hsi Wu are now enemies. Do you not remember the phrase, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'? One more thing!" Another strike, another ow. "Hsi Wu fought to protect Jade. We fought to protect Jade. Whatever his reasons, we want the same thing: Jade's well being. With how rambunctious Jade is, we need all the help we can get! One more thing!" Another strike. "Shendu referred to Hsi Wu as traitor. That means he is enemy of all demon sorcerers! He will need allies amongst humans if he wants to survive. He probably seeks alliance with us, and Cielo Torres, who shares demon blood with him! Hsi Wu may be demon, but he is not enemy!"

"Okay, okay! I get it Uncle! I screwed up." Jackie sighed. "I screwed up big time. And now Jade's run away, and it's all my fault. Who knows where she's gone?"

"Pfeh! You worry too much. She did not come for her stuff, so she has not gone far. Probably went to see Cielo, like she does so often. She spends much time with him, it makes sense she'd go to him for problems she feels she can't come to us for." At that point the phone rang. Tohru picked it up, putting it on speaker.

"Uncle's Rare Finds. I'm afraid we're closed at the-"

"Tohru? It's Cielo."

"Cielo!" Uncle took over the call. "Do you know where Jade is? She ran off after a fight with Jackie and we are very worried about her."

"She's here. She showed up on my doorstep crying her eyes out. I wasn't able to get the details out of her, but I got her to eat something, then put her to bed in one of the spare rooms. I'll let her sleep herself out, then talk to her tomorrow. I'll bring her back by the shop sometime late tomorrow, once she's up to it."

"No rush. No rush." Uncle was smiling. "When she's ready. I still have much to say to Jackie. Will probably take most of tonight and tomorrow."

Cielo chuckled. "Jade will probably be glad to hear you're on her side of this. Out of curiousity, where does Tohru stand on this?"

"I am afraid I am still too worried about Jade to have formed an opinion," Tohru said in concern.

"...you're a good man, Tohru. Jade's lucky to have you in her life." Cielo sounded very serious, and somewhat sad.

"It is just this old man's opinion," Uncle said happily, "but I think she is lucky to have you in her life, too, Cielo."

There was silence for a while. When Cielo spoke again, his voice was husky with emotion. "Thank you, sir. It means a lot that you feel that way. I'll see you all tomorrow."

Uncle hung up the phone. Then he turned to Jackie. "One more thing!"

Another strike. "Ow!"

Captain Black stared at the med lab they'd managed to scrape together. "Is the subject recovering?"

"Yes Captain," the lab tech replied. "He seems to have remarkable recuperative capabilities. The injuries he sustained would have killed even the strongest human subject, but he seems to be made of much sterner stuff."

Captain Black nodded. "And the cell sample? What have we learned?"

"From what we can tell, he's made from the same things as us. Probably absorbs nutrients the same way as well. At the very least, there's no sign of rejection or negative reaction from the IV."

"How soon do you think he'll recover?"

"At the rate his injuries are healing, probably before the week is out, depending on how quickly the wing membrane heals. The bones of the wings already show signs of knitting together. This is one extremely durable individual."

Captain Black nodded. "Well, learn what you can from him while he recovers...but he is a patient, not a prisoner. Once he feels recovered enough to leave, let him."

"But Captain! We have no idea what he is!"

"Yes we do. He fought Shendu. That makes him an ally."

"Understood Captain."

On the med table, Gratch sighed as he redirected his energies towards healing. The nutrient drip helped somewhat, but while his injuries would be healed before the week was out, he would need to eat a great deal of food in the interim and after before he was back at full strength. He hoped he'd be able to communicate his dietary needs to the people tending him. However, this level of treatment for an inured fighter...he could certainly get used to this. He wondered if Master would object to him working here when he wasn't needed for other things...

Late afternoon the next day, Cielo and Jade walked together to Uncle's shop. Uncle, Tohru, and Jackie were waiting for them. Once they all met up, Jackie was the first to speak. "Jade...I'm sorry for what I said. I was panicked and worried about you...and when i saw Hsi Wu there, I feared for you. Seeing you heal him...I was afraid you were under the influence of dark magic, like when you became Queen of the Shadowkahn, or something, and I just lost it. I'm sorry."

Jade blinked away tears, and hugged Jackie. "I'm sorry I yelled, Jackie. It's just...what you said made me so angry..."

"You don't have to apologise, Jade. You were right on all points. I was just too scared for you last night to see. Can you forgive me, Jade?"

Jade smiled. "Sure Jackie. ...does this mean I'm not grounded for running away and staying out all night?"

Jackie chuckled. "I think we can let it slide this time. But next time you're going to spend the night at Cielo's place, ask for permission first." Considering the situation that led to this sleepover, and Jade's tendency to seek forgiveness rather than permission, he amended, "Or at least let us know."

General mirth greeted this statement, and they went into the shop, and there enjoyed the meal Tohru had prepared to welcome Jade back home. 


	12. She's Mine

12. She's Mine

"Come on, Jade, it's not that hard," Cielo said with a smile, holding up the flash card. "It's just 50 states and capitals. It's not like you have to memorize the capitals of every country in the world."

"Don't say that," Jade said with a shudder. "That will probably be next week's test."

"It could be worse," Cielo said with a wide grin. "It could be Uncle tutoring you." He gestured to where Uncle was quizing Tohru.

"Very good," Uncle said happily, before snapping, "if you were making Chicken Chow Mein!"

Jade shuddered. "Yeah, definately better off with a boy from my class tutoring me." She smirked at Cielo. "And a cute one at that."

Cielo blushed. "Don't try to distract me Jade. It won't work."

Jade giggled. "Okay, let's give this another go."

Captain Black came in the front door. "Jackie! The Dark Hand have broken out of prison!"

After a quick discussion, Captain Black led Uncle, Tohru, and Jackie into the van. Jackie told Jade to stay and study.

Cielo sighed. "It's alright, Jade. We don't always have to be crime fighters. Now, about those states-" He paused. The flashcards were gone, and so was Jade. He sighed. "You never change," he mumbled, taking off for the airfield.

Tarakudo stared into Jade's eyes. "Ah, the former queen of the Shadowkahn, returning to the forces of darkness."

Tarakudo was rather surprised to discover that the expected hypnotic effect did not trigger. Jade tossed her head casually. "Sorry, I'm taken."

Jackie seized Jade and ran. "Jade! What is that supposed to mean?"

"Yes," Tarakudo said, appearing in front of them. "Who is it that allows you to resist my power so casually?" Tarakudo suddenly flinched back as a beam of white light struck him from behind, crying out in pain.

Cielo glowered at Tarakudo. "Keep away from her, bastard."

Tarakudo snarled at Cielo. "Who are you to stand between me and what is mine by rite of magic?" Focusing his mind powers, he attempted to send the child backwards, only to have the wave of power deflect off the air in front of him. "So, you have power...a power that seems familiar..."

"I'm sure." Cielo leveled the wishbone again, and released another blast of light focused chi.

Tarakudo evaded the light blasts. While they couldn't hurt him, they did stun him momentarily. However, it wasn't long before he was free to withdraw.

Cielo stood near Jade on the flight to Hong Kong, once she revealed her presence. Tohru's account of the Oni left him somewhat thoughtful. He knew those legends, and he never did find out how Shendu was able to summon the Shadow Kahn. It wasn't one of his natural abilities.

At the palace, they followed the Dark Hand thugs to an area of the treasure trove Hsi Wu hadn't explored yet. Seeing the mask, Cielo understood what was going on. He knew the legend of the Oni masks. He knew they were in deep now.

Cielo helped Tohru with the translations, although something felt off with the end conclusion of finding all the masks and putting them in the vault. However, Cielo shoved it aside. He didn't know what all was going on, but he knew Tarakudo wanted Jade. He put his arm around her. He would not let Tarakudo touch her.

Jade looked over at Cielo. "Ci?" she asked, confused. 


	13. Legacy: Darkness

13. Legacy: Darkness

Tarakudo floated between realms, pondering. He had suffered setback after setback in his quest to recover the masks of his generals, and now five of the masks rested in Section 13's vault, beyond his reach. While this was merely a bump in the road, so to speak, one thing bothered him. He could account for almost every element in this game, knowing where they stood and what would happen, and see the outcome a few steps ahead. It was the almost that bothered him. There were two elements that caused him problems. One was expected: he had always known Jade would be the wild card in this game.

It was the other that drove him to distraction and frustration. Cielo Torres. While not playing a very major role, what role he did play was enough to heavily tip the balance in the Chan's favor. He could read Japanese, which aided Tohru in translations and preperations. He had powerful magic, but so did Tohru and Uncle, and even Jade for that matter. Still, there were matters regarding the boy that were concerning.

For one, that chi spell he had: a beam of pure white light. While not harmful to Tarakudo's quazi-astral form, it did cause pain, as well as stun him breifly. Also, it had proven effective at dispelling every variety of Shadow Kahn that had been summoned before. For some reason, however, Uncle and Tohru were unable to duplicate the spell. This was a relief, if somewhat confusing.

The worst part was how frustratingly determined he was to thwart anything Tarakudo attempted to do. He hadn't done all that much in Japan, when Ratso had summoned his Shadow Kahn, although he had been very determined when it came to protecting Jade. He also seemed far too wise for his years.

His actions when the dog had worn the mask and summoned the winged Shadow Kahn, though, had been more effective.

"Relax Missy," Tarakudo said, as Jade was bound by shadow magic at the top of the tower. "Strength is no match for the power of Shadow."

"That's true," said a voice from behind him, and he turned. Cielo stood there at one of the windows, with a shadowy presence near him. "So let's shine some light on the situation." He pointed his wishbone forward, and Tarakudo saw a talisman braced at the points. "SUNFIRE BEAM!"

The dragon talisman's magic mixed with the light based chi spell, and a beam of yellow-white fire erupted, searing through the shadow kahn, and even setting Tarakudo's moustache on fire. That combined spell actually hurt!

"RAH!" Tarakudo cried out, flying off to extinguish his moustache. He could only watch as the shadow leapt out and dealt with the mask wearing dog. The shadow turned out to be...a white furred catwoman with red eyes?

"Ruby?" Jade said disbelievingly, staring at the feline creature.

Smiling, the creature held up another of the blasted Talismans, this one the monkey. It wasn't long before Jade was free and only the dog was left fighting. The potion on Jade's hands made short work of that, and the force arrayed against him compelled Tarakudo to withdraw without a counterstrike.

As he left, though, he heard Jade say something that intuiged him. "Seems the Talismans are stronger now. Wonder how Shendu would feel about us using them like this?"

Cielo had laughed. "Believe me Jade, he would throw a fit!"

How could Cielo claim to know Shendu's mind so well?

Cielo hadn't done all that much while Captain Black wore the fourth mask. He had merely stayed close to Jade and assisted. However, his sense of things seemed more and more acute as events went on. He was becoming more and more a thorn in Tarakudo's side.

Ikazuki's rather brief report regarding the boy, however, had been most enlightening.

"Lord Tarakudo," Ikazuki said, while having his Shadow Kahn try to get the removal potion from Tohru, so he could be placed on a better form, "while I am not busy, there is something I need to inform you of."

"Yes, Ikazuki?" Tarakudo asked from the astral plain, where he had retreated to recover from onion exposure. "I trust your judgement. If you feel this is important, I would gladly listen."

"Be wary of the child. He draws power from BOTH sides of the shadow." About to say more, Ikazuki was distracted by the arrival of the Chans come to rescue Tohru, as well as Cielo assisting. Before long, Ikazuki could report no more.

Tarakudo hated mysteries, and now he had a huge one in his metaphorical lap. The boy was trouble, and because of him, the latest Oni Mask had been recovered and returned to Section 13 before Tarakudo could even dispatch the enforcers.

Deciding to go with a different strategy, he summoned the enforcers to quiz them regarding this thorn in his side.

"Yo, Tarakudo," Fin said as he and the others dropped in. "Rather aggresive summons. What's this all about? New mask?"

"No. Not this time. This time I wish to pick your brains." Tarakudo grinned inwardly at how they backed up, covering their heads. "Tell me everything you know...about Cielo Torres."

"You mean Jade's boyfriend?" Ratso asked. "Aren't they such a cute couple?"

"Hmm," Tarakudo mused. "Is that what she meant when she said she was taken? But they are so young. How can they be so serious? And where did this boy come from?"

"Don't know," Chow said. "He just showed up out of nowhere a couple weeks before we went after the Talismans, only to have Jackie destroy them. Then Daolon Wong turned us into Dark Chi Warriors, and we weren't really in a position to research."

"He has demon blood," Hak Fu spoke up. "He was also able to summon a demon servant creature. His chi is aligned with the element of sky, which has led the old wizard to the conclusion that he is descended from Hsi Wu, Demon Sorcerer of Sky."

"Hmm..." Tarakudo pondered all of this. "That would explain a few things...but the strength of his power means there can not be too wide a generation gap...but he has no demon features. He also has good chi magic. None of this adds up correctly. All I know now is that things would be much easier if he was dead." Tarakudo suddenly shuddered. "And perhaps I have an opportunity. Someone now wears the sixth mask." Tarakudo faded out, to seek this new puppet.

Tarakudo manifested himself as Paco was wondering about his 'competition' for scariest. "Believe me, you have no competition."

Paco gasped. "Are you...the Great Pumpkin?"

"Uh...yes." Tarakudo had no idea what this Great Pumpkin was, but he sensed great untapped darkness inside this boy, and he was going to take advantage of it. "And I am here to teach YOU to be as scary as you can be."

"Teach me, oh great one."

"You must feel the darkness within. The power of the darkness is the oldest of fears, and you must become one with it. Your rage, jealousy, fears, destructive and competitive impulses...let these FILL you...let them CONSUME you...until the darkness has nowhere to go but out!"

Paco grew quiet. "Jade..." he whispered, his voice filled with a dark yearning. "Cielo..." This was said with a dark rage, one that set his eyes glowing. The shadow kahn flared forth.

Tarakudo smiled to himself. "That's it. And now, with the power of darkness, let your enemies taste true fear..." Tarakudo's eyes glowed. "...and then destroy them!"

To be Continued... 


	14. Legacy: Fear

14. Legacy: Fear

Cielo walked through the halls of Section 13, tugging at his fake beard. "Jade!" he called out. "Where are you? We were going to go Trick or Treat together." It was Cielo's first Halloween, and he was looking forward to Trick or Treating. He was dressed as Merlin from Disney's "The Sword in the Stone." "Jade?" He couldn't seem to find her anywhere.

He took a quick glance in the vault, thinking she might be going for a talisman to make Halloween more fun. "Jade?" He ran a quick inventory of the vault. One Demon Sorcerer in stone: check. 12 magic Talismans: check. Six Oni masks: che...

There were only five. Where was the one they had brought in today?

Suddenly, Cielo clutched at his chest, feeling like something had punched him in the gut. Jade's voice screamed in his mind. *CI!*

He grabbed his Yin charm. *Jade! What's wrong?*

*Paco put on the latest Oni mask to be scary for Halloween, and he just beat El Toro to a pulp. El Toro looked like he was going to manage to talk him down...but suddenly he went berserk again, and the way he's looking at me is scaring me!*

*I'm coming Jade!* Cielo turned to run, but glanced back at the vault. If Paco had gone as far around the bend as it sounded...Cielo might need some magical help...

"Paco...what are you doing?" Jade didn't have to feign the fear in her voice. She was terrified. This was worse than when, just a while ago, the Shadow Kahn had pulled her through shadows. While that had been sickening, the look in Paco's eyes just now filled her with fear the likes of which she hadn't known since her first day in the Demon World tower with Hsi Wu.

Paco grinned. "I had almost forgotten...the darkness that made me wield this mask, the dark that called forth my minions. There were two things I sought to face this Halloween, two things that will be dealt with once and for all." The Shadow Kahn lowered Jade to Paco's level, and he reached out and stroked her cheek. "My greatest treasure," he whispered, in a tone that sent shivers down her spine. Then he seized her ear, startling a cry of pain as demon sharp claws briefly dug into flesh. "And my greatest foe. Soon, your precious Cielo will be here. Soon I will destroy him...and then you will belong to me!"

Jade flinched back. "Paco, what are you saying? What are you talking about?"

Paco chuckled evilly. "You were always too blind to see...the feelings I held for you. You only had eyes for Cielo! The demon boy! Well...after tonight, I will be the only demon left for you to see!" A beam of light suddenly struck Paco's hand, causing him to pull back, wincing.

"Is that how it is now, Paco?" Cielo asked, stroking his beard. For the night, he had affixed his wishbone to the top of his staff, part of the costume. "Will you turn your back on friends, your mentor, and for what? For demon power and dark fulfillment? Take it from me, you will regret it one day, if there is anything left once the demon consumes you."

Paco laughed. "Your warnings hold no meaning for El Paco Diablo! Come! Enter the ring, so I may destroy you! Or will you cower behind your magic?"

Cielo stepped into the ring, and cast his staff aside. It landed in the puddle of removal potion, the wishbone absorbing the spell. "I will not cower," Cielo proclaimed. "If this is the battle you desire, then I shall defeat you in your style." Cielo seized his robes, and with a single yank tossed them aside.

As the robes fell, Cielo stood in a wrestling outfit not unlike Paco's...holding the yellow Oni mask. "This shall be a battle of demons, and only the strongest demon will remain." He put the mask to his face.

"Cielo, no!" Uncle called out. "Uncle does not have that removal potion prepared!"

"Cielo! Don't be reckless!" Jackie called out.

"Ci!" Jade called, afraid for what would happen.

Cielo put the mask to his face, and it bonded. Dark clouds gathered as the transformation occured. Yellow spread across his entire body, as claws extended from hands and feet. The demon face of the mask became flesh, and red shone from his eyes. Demon now faced down Demon.

"You don't know what you've just gotten yourself into," Cielo told Paco. Tilting back his head, he roared.

From the clouds, seemingly endless shadows descended, as the entire tribe of winged shadow kahn arose from darkness at their master's call.

Uncle gasped. "The number of Shadow Kahn the mask can summon is dependant on the darkness of the wearer's soul. I had no idea the level of darkness Cielo kept locked away. How will we ever remove the mask?"

The winged Shadow Kahn came, striking down the Shadow Kahn holding Jade and the others prisoner. They caught them as they fell, setting them down gently. Cielo faced Paco. "You see, little boy? You and I are in different leauges, as humans OR demons. Surrender, while you still can."

Although afraid from Cielo's casual display of control of his own darkness, Paco would not back down. "You may have power...but you are no fighter!" Paco lunged in, seeking to do fierce battle.

Cielo moved rapidly, easily countering every move Paco threw his way, but as yet throwing no blows of his own. After nearly half an hour of this, Paco leaped back, panting and grinning. "You may have blocked all my strikes, but it is taking all you have to defend! I will wear you down eventually!"

Cielo grinned a demon grin. "That might be true...if this were all I had!" Cielo blurred forward, catching Paco off guard as he delivered a strong right cross to the chin. "I may not have all your fancy tricks and wrestling moves...but you have become a slave to the darkness, while I am its master!" Seizing Paco under his arms, he flipped him over, slamming him headfirst into the mat, dazing him. "While you revel in the power of the mask, I am strong in the knowledge of my own power." He walked over to his staff and seized the wishbone. His hands glowed with the removal spell. "While you hide from your own heart, I embrace the truth. Once I lived alone, a prisoner of darkness. To that life I will never return...nor will I allow it to claim you!" Cielo seized Paco's mask. "This fight is over!" With a single powerful jerk, the mask tore free.

The elastic-like, tentacled Shadow Kahn vanished. Cielo smiled. "The time for demons this night has ended. It is time for man to rule the darkness once more." Reaching up, he took hold of the Oni mask...and removed it.

The winged Shadow Kahn gently vanished, returning to shadows. Uncle gaped. "Cielo...how did you remove Oni mask without removal potion?"

"I have lived with my demon power all my life. This new power was easy to master. It is as you told me: stay true to my convictions, and I need have no fear of the darkness." Cielo paused as Jade ran up to him, clinging to him in a fierce embrace.

"Ci! You have no idea how terrified I was!"

"It's alright Jade. It's over. The mask is off Paco, and-"

"Not of Paco! Of what you did! Don't ever pull something that reckless again, you hear me?" She looked up at him, fear still fresh in her eyes.

Gazing into her eyes, he nodded, then held her close. "Alright, Jade."

"Promise!" she demanded.

Holding her gently, he smiled. He knew she needed to hear it, but he knew this was a promise he would break in a heartbeat if it meant keeping her safe. So he said the only thing he could. "Scouts honor." 


	15. Legacy: Redemption

15. Legacy: Redemption

Paco sat on a bench in Section 13, lost in thought. What had happened earlier that night, while he wore the Oni mask...he still couldn't believe what he had done, what had driven him. The thoughts that had filled his mind while wearing the mask...those were still with him, and he could not bear to face them. What he had intended to do to her...

"Paco?"

Paco turned, and saw Jade. Getting up, he moved to go elsewhere. He heard Jade sigh and mumble something. He suddenly found himself pulled back onto the bench, affixed there, unable to get back up. Jade sat next to him, a glow around her wrist fading. "Yade?" he asked, confused. "What did you do?"

"A minor binding spell, affixing you to the bench," she said, tossing her head. "I learned a few tricks from Cielo. The spell will last for an hour. If you're still running away from me at the end of that...I guess I'll have to deal with tonight's events costing me a friend."

Paco looked at her. "Yade, after what I did...I can hardly call myself your friend now, can I?"

Jade laughed. "You make it sound like this is the worst thing that's ever happened to me...or even the worst you could have done."

"Yade?" Now Paco was really confused. "What do you mean?"

"That's not what's at hand here," she interrupted, looking him straight in the eye. "You seem to think you've done something horrible, so let's take a look at your actions tonight, shall we? As far as I can see, the only thing you've done I can blame you for is putting the mask on, and since you didn't know what it was, I can hardly blame you for that."

"But what I did while wearing the mask-"

"Wasn't your fault. It was the demon-"

"I was the demon! I did those things. Those actions, those thoughts...they came from me!" Paco hung his head, shaking.

Jade watched him for a time. "How much do you know about those masks?"

"They turn people into demons."

Jade shook her head. "So the only knowledge you have is false. That will make this difficult."

Paco looked up. "What do you mean, Yade?"

"Cielo explained this to me. Each mask contains the soul of an Oni general. When someone wears it on their face, the demon soul first attempts to corrupt the host. First, it amplifies their darker nature, feeding on their inner darkness. Then, once the Shadow Kahn have been summoned, the demon infiltrates bits of its own personality into the host, corrupting them further and weakening their light. Eventually, the demon soul consumes the soul of the host, and the demon is reborn." She shook her head. "Really, when you first put on the mask, it's like being affected by the Tiger Talisman, having your Yin and Yang seperated, except instead it just puts your Yin into total dominence. Your Yang - your light side - still tries to hold your darkness back, but it gets harder to do once the Shadow Kahn have been summoned."

Paco thought about this. "But...it all felt like it came from me!"

"That's because, in a way, it did. Your actions were your own, things you'd thought about at the darkest corners of your being but would never do normally. It's how the mask works. It takes the darkest elements of your persona and puts them in control. That's why the enforcers didn't change so much in personality when wearing the masks: they're bad guys, and are pretty in tune with their dark sides already."

"But why didn't Cielo change when he put his on?"

Jade smiled. "A lot of reasons, but the main one is that the mask feeds strongest on those things you hide from yourself. Cielo has seen his entire soul bared before him, and is content with what he has seen. All his actions stem from total self knowledge. He still has doubts, but he recognizes and deals with them, never letting them fester and gnaw. It's a very difficult path he walks, but he's more in control of himself than almost anyone in the world."

Paco sighed. "He has been through more than I know, I take it?"

"Definately. But we are straying from the real subject at hand." Jade stared right at him. "This is the part where we talk about your not so secret crush on me."

Paco looked away, blushing. "I suppose it is obvious, now, after what I said while I wore the mask."

"Actually, it's been pretty obvious since you first gave me that flyer to come see El Toro wrestle, back when Jackie and I were looking for the Ox Talisman."

"What?" Paco blinked in surprise. "I did not even know then. How could you?"

"Well, I could say it's because girls are smarter and mature faster than boys, but really...why else would you always go so far out of your way to anagonize me so we'd get into those pointless arguements?" She chuckled. "If you were really convinced of El Toro's superiority, you would never start those arguements, or continue them. You'd just be content in your certainty. You do it because you enjoy the arguements. It's how boys your age show they like a girl: by going out of your way to get her angry with you." She rolled her eyes. "Hardly effective, but that's the way boys are."

"Hey! You are only 11, same as me, Yade!"

Jade sighed. "Sometimes, Paco...the things that didn't happen are more important than the things that did."

Paco looked at her perplexed. "What do you mean, Yade?"

She shook her head. "Never mind Paco. Just...as far as your crush, I'm not looking to go steady with anyone just now, but I don't want to lose our friendship, okay?" She rested her hand on his shoulder. "I know this is probably the worst thing I can say right now, but...I just want to be friends."

Paco winced. Then he sighed. "I would like to remain friends, too, Yade."

Jade nodded, giving Paco a quick hug. "I'm glad we sorted this all out, Paco. I'd rather demon magic not make my life more awkward than it already has to be." She glanced at something she wore on her wrist, not a watch. "Looks like the spell will last...another 20 minutes. Just sit tight until then, okay?"

Paco crossed his arms, huffing. "As though I can do anything else!"

Giggling, Jade left, waving.

Jade found him up on the roof, where Captain Black had once taken her to see the stars. "Hey, Ci."

Cielo smiled at her. "Hey, Jade. How'd your talk with Paco, go?"

"Well." She smiled as she leaned against the rail. "I think we've gotten everything sorted out. Sorry this ruined your first Halloween."

Cielo shrugged. "There's always next year." He looked at her, smiling. Then he frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Huh?" Jade looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

"Your eyes are shadowed. Something's bothering you."

Jade opened her mouth to deny it, then sighed. "Never could fool you, could I?"

"Managed it for nearly a year."

They shared a laugh, but then Jade sighed. "That's...kinda the problem just now. I have to pretend none of that happened, that I'm just fine...but the nightmares don't go away."

"Nightmares?" Cielo turned fully to face her. "What do you mean?"

"I...I dream I'm back in Demon World. Except I'm not at your Tower. I'm in Xiao Fung's domain, watching him shove Paco into his gullet, then spit the bones in El Toro's face, and I see him impaled on Paco's spine, the skull staring up at him twisted in an expression of pain and horror. Or I'm in Tchiang Zhu's realm, seeing Viper devoured by the thunder serpents. Or I'm in Shendu's realm, seeing Uncle get incinerated by Shendu's fire, or Jackie slain by endless waves of demon servants, or my folks devoured by Shendu's dragon minions." Jade was shivering violently now, and Cielo wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "They just keep getting worse, Ci! And I don't know what to do! And I have to keep pretending like everything's fine, like nothing's bothering me, like none of it ever happened." She buried her face in his shoulder, tears falling from her eyes. "And you're the only one who notices anything's wrong..."

Cielo held her close for a time, letting her cry herself out. Then he spoke. "You need to tell someone. One of your family. Explain it to them so they can help you through this. I can only do so much."

"But who? Who could help me?"

"Uncle. He knows quite a bit of old magic, as well as a lot about the darkness. I'd wager he's seen his share of the unspeakable as well, and will know how to help you overcome it."

"I...I guess that could work...but how do I explain it to him? And how do I get him to believe me?"

Cielo looked down at her for a time, then reached into a back pocket and handed her a book. "Perhaps this will help."

She stared at the book in shock. "Ci...this is my diary from my time in Demon World! How..."

Cielo smiled. "Did you really think you could play with the fabric of space and time, and leave no evidence? Our memories are intact...and so is this."

Jade stared at the book for a time, then held it against her chest. "Not tonight," she said. "Soon...but not tonight. I...I'm not ready to relive that year just yet."

"Alright," Cielo said, hugging her again. "But whenever you are ready, let me know. I'll be there with you, and help you through it."

Jade nodded against his chest. "Thanks, Ci." 


	16. Of Shadows and Light

16. Of Shadows and Light

Cielo shook his head as he watched the Hanafuda card with the spell ingredient get eaten by an alligator. "So much for a complete deck," he muttered, then sneezed.

"Ci! Are you okay?" Jade put her hand to his forehead. "You're running a fever! You shouldn't have come with!"

"I'm-" he sneezed again "-not sick." *Demons don't get sick,* he thought to himself.

*Demon or not, you're sick and you should have stayed home!* Jade thought fiercely. They both blinked, realising they'd thought spoke without holding the charms. They pulled back.

Arriving at Miss Kimber's psychic shack, Cielo sneezed through most of the conversation before Miss Kimber entered. His interest only really peaked, however, when she showed the dolls. In addition to the three representing Jade, Jackie, and Uncle...there was one of Cielo, sitting right next to Jade! And there was a miniature of Hsi Wu, perched on Jade's shoulder.

Noticing everyone - including Jade - staring at that, she smiled. "Your Guardian Angel, hon." She looked straight at Cielo as she said it. He shuddered. As far as he was concerned, this was proof enough that Miss Kimber was a true psychic. He knew such things were possible, but in this situation he preferred not to encounter it.

After Hak Fu ran after Jackie to get the mask, Jade ran out after Jackie. Cielo started to pursue, but Miss Kimber called out, "If you want to live to see the little lady grow up, you'll be stayin' right here, hon."

Both Uncle and Cielo turned to stare at Miss Kimber. Uncle snorted. "What does phony psychic know of things?"

Miss Kimber ignored Uncle for the moment. "You be wondering about your sickness, aren't ya? Cause ya were never sick before. Ya COULD never be sick before, am I right?"

Cielo shuddered, but followed her past the curtains at her gesture. She took a vial off her shelf. "Your sickness be magical in nature, and not because of no germs. What the little lady did when she gave ya yer good chi, it not be natural, and yer body never fully adjusted." Cielo couldn't stifle the gasp when she mentioned this. "This potion be puttin ya to sleep for tree days once ya take it, so ya best take it soon as ye be gettin back to your house. Don't take it anywhere someone who don't know your secret might stumble upon ya, as ye'll be back in yer old form, not this one ye'r so fond of." She put the bottle in his hand. "No charge fer this, although the ingredients be awful hard to come by. I may be a money grubber, as the old man will call me, but I ain't so heartless as to let someone die when I could prevent it, especially not someone as good hearted as the stars tell me you be." She hesitated, then slipped him a card under the vial. "This be my private number, no charge. Yer girl can call me any time, day or night, if she needs to talk about the nightmares. Don't be givin it out or tellin no one, though, ya hear. I got a business to run, and a reputation to keep up."

Later, after Miss Kimber once again proved her psychic abilities - even though Uncle refused to believe it - they turned to head home. Cielo talked to Jade on the flight back, through the charms.

*Miss Kimber told me why I was sick, Jade.*

*She did? Did she tell you how to get better?*

*She gave me the cure. But I'll have to sleep for three days for it to work.*

*Three DAYS? Are you sure she knows what she's talking about?*

*She knew about me. About us. About how I got my good chi.*

Jade flinched in shock. *She's...she's the real deal...* Jade sounded almost afraid.

Since they were sitting next to each other, Ci slipped the card into her pocket. *Her private number. She said you can call her anytime about the nightmares. No charge.*

*Wow...* Jade was stunned. *She...she really wants to help us.*

*I get the feeling she really wants to help everyone...but it's her only marketable skill, which is why she runs it as a business. She asked us to keep her number - and these free services - a secret.*

*Got it. I won't tell anyone.* Jade placed her hand on Cielo's. *Do...do you want me there, after you take the potion? To watch over you while you sleep?*

Cielo shook his head. *No. We'd have no way of explaining it. Not for three days. Don't worry, I'll be fine. She knows what she's talking about. I believe her.*

*Okay. If you're sure.*

Ci smiled at her. *No worries, right?* He sneezed again. "Can't be too soon to get rid of these sneezes," he mumbled aloud.

Sometime later, he made it home (Jade insisted on at least walking him there) and he climbed up the steps towards his room, glancing at the directions on the bottle.

'Do not shift form before taking. Take while between forms. Sleep in demon form, but find a position comfortable for both, ya hear?'

Cielo walked to his room. "Sebastian, I'm going to be asleep for the next three days. No one but Jade or Gratch is allowed to enter, and Jade is only allowed to visit. Don't let her trick you into letting her stay, okay?"

"Understood, sir."

In the room, he let himself shift back into demon form. Halfway through he downed the potion, then slumped onto the bed on his stomach, head hanging off the head of the bed. "This is comfy," he mumbled, as he fell fast asleep.

Hsi Wu was surprised when he came fully aware staring down at his own body. "What the?" He glanced down at where he thought he should be, and stared right through himself. "How?"

"I see you finally took the potion, hon," Miss Kimber's voice spoke from nearby. Turning, he saw her Astral form. "The adaption process ye be going through be tough on your mind and body, and tough ta sleep through. It'll be easier on ya if ya take a siesta from your body for the duration, so I included in the potion a mix to trigger an Astral projection. You should see a glow on yer body." He turned, and saw the glow, just around his feet just now. "That glow will expand to cover yer whole body, then fade. Once it fades, yer healthy, and can dive back in ta wake up. But be warned, if ya dive in before then, the process will be interrupted, and ye will be worse than before." She smiled. "I can't mantain my own projection fer too long. The old man be needin me soon for the secret ingredient, doncha know." Miss Kimber's form faded.

Hsi Wu floated, staring down at his body. "Well, what am I supposed to do in the meantime?" He thought for a time...then smiled. "I wonder how Jade does when I'm not around." He flew through the wall to observe her actions.

Watching as Jade fought the swarm of Shadow Eating Kahn, Hsi Wu was impressed. "She really knows what she's doing," he mused to himself. "I'm surprised Jackie doesn't see how tough and resourceful she is in a better light." Seeing how close some of the Shadow Eaters got to her shadow before being stopped, he reconsidered. "Then again, she does have a tendency to take unneccessarry risks. I wish she'd be more careful." Seeing her behaviorisms, he laughed. "Though she acts like she's playing a video game."

He became more worried when he saw the gigantic shadow eater, but it seemed things were well in hand, as she was the only one keeping a cool head. "I guess I needn't have worried." He sighed. "I want to let her know I'm here watching, even if I can't do anything...but how?"

Right at that moment, as Jackie was looking over the city, Jade looked right up at Hsi Wu...and winked.

Hsi Wu smiled. It seemed she knew exactly where he was and what he was doing. This would be fun after all.

The next day, when Jade and Jackie went after the second to last mask, Hsi Wu was worried. The Demon Sorcerers had had their own encounters with Tarakudo's minions - which was the real reason he knew so much of how the masks and Shadow Kahn worked - and he recognized this tribe, even though they were only half formed. It was the second most dangerous tribe, incredibly powerful and close to indestructable when whole. Their half summoned state weakened them, but not so much that those unfamiliar with them would notice. He wished he could help Jade, especially when she put the other half of the mask on her own face. Admittedly, her discipline gained through her travails with him enabled her greater control over the Shadow Kahn - and the demon of the mask - then others had had, but it was still worrisome.

However, he had to admit to himself, she was oddly adorable like that. Sure, the constant talk about eating people's brains was very zombieish, but the way she did it was just so cute. That one moment, close to when they got the mask off at the postal center...

As the postal worker turned to look at Jade, as her half-Kahn rose out of the ground, she turned towards him. "Brains!" she said, with a huge grin crossing both human and demon features.

Hsi Wu had to admit: Cutest. Zombie. Ever!

Although the joining of the two halves of the Shadow Kahn was worriesome, it was short lived, as Jade once again pulled a miracle save out of nowhere. She did have a habit of doing that, didn't she?

Hsi Wu breathed a sigh of releif. He then spent the rest of the day pondering Astral physics. Why did he breathe when his Astral form had no lungs?

Hsi Wu found himself mildly amused when Ratso, Fin, and Chow were trying to turn over a new leaf with the Chan's help. The idea of them turning to the ones who had beaten them up so frequently for help in reforming...for some reason, Hsi Wu found it hilarious.

He was rather surprised when Jade was one of the major parties advocating giving them a chance, considering how frequently they'd tried to harm her. He was on the verge of voicing this opinion when she spoke to him in her thoughts.

*Hey, I gave YOU a chance, didn't I?*

This silenced him swiftly. After all, his own list of crimes dated back thousands of years, and were far worse than the things Fin, Ratso, and Chow had done. If Hsi Wu - a demon sorcererof ancient darkness - had made good for himself, then there was hope for them after all, maybe. Tohru certainly pulled it off.

It was rather short lived, though. One sight of an easily snatched huge gem and they were back to their old ways. Hsi Wu sighed. And it had seemed like they really had a chance...

That Strike Master Ice character, though...he just rubbed Hsi Wu the wrong way, somehow. He seemed way too high on himself. And what he did with the opal...hmph. He had no respect for ancient mystical craftsmanship...and to top it off, Hsi Wu had crafted that weapon himself! That really pissed him off.

Seeing Fin and the others provide the distraction Jackie needed to beat that punk was rather pleasing. And he was glad to see the opal heading to a museum in Jackie's hands.

Not long after, Hsi Wu returned to his body, finding the glow had faded. Slipping back in, he awoke slowly.

"Feeling better, Hsi?" Jade asked him, sitting close nearby.

Hsi smiled. "Much better. No more sickness."

"Guess you're healed, then." Jade smiled, then glanced away. "Thanks for, um...last night, you know?"

Hsi smiled. The night before, he had felt Jade's distress, and realised she was having another nightmare. Given his Astral state, Hsi Wu had entered her dream, and helped her shift to a more pleasent dream. While he couldn't change it completely, he was at least able to fly her back to his Tower in the dream, and they'd spent the rest of the time once more dancing...and this time, no visitors interrupted them. "I guess I just can't keep myself from your side, Jade." He cupped her cheek in his hand. "I'll always be there for you, Jade. Whatever hapens."

Jade hugged him tight. "Thanks, Hsi."

Hsi Wu sighed, happily. But under the joy, the pain returned. They had Jade's entire life...but what would he do when time ran out? 


	17. A Jump to the Left

17. A Jump to the Left

Jackie and Uncle walked through the Junkyard, following Uncle's jury-rigged Dark Chi Detector. "Uncle, are you sure that thing is working?" Jackie asked. Not that he doubted Uncle's expertise, but this hardly seemed like the place to find dark chi.

"Do not question Uncle! There is dark chi in this place!"

"You sure Cielo's not throwing your scans off?" Jade asked from atop a stack of cars. "He does have dark chi, after all." She hopped down, Cielo following close behind.

"Jade! What are you doing here?"

"Spending Chinese New Year with my loved ones. Duh!" Jade smiled as Cielo hopped down beside her.

Jackie turned on Cielo. "And you?"

"I have no one else to spend time with. The holiday may not have cultural significance to me, but that doesn't mean I wish to be left out." He smiled. He then turned to Uncle. "About Jade's question..."

"Pfeh!" Uncle said, waving his hand dismissively. "I have taken your dark chi into account, and filter it out." Suddenly the detector started going haywire. "Dark chi spike!"

There was a flash of electricity nearby. Everyone ran forward to see.

When the light faded, a young girl stood there, about Jade's age. She was wearing a tight fitting black outfit, complete with dark hat and glasses. She looked around and saw everyone there. She cursed, and leaped down to the ground.

Everyone stepped back. Although she didn't look all that dangerous, there was a feeling of power surrounding her, an awareness of barely contained destructive energies. She walked forward, seeming to sniff the air a few times. Then she went right up to Jade.

"Come with me if you want to live," she said flatly.

Jade stepped back in shock, then smiled. "Nice Sci-fi reference, but I don't see any terminators. So, who are you supposed to be?"

"There's no time for this." The girl suddenly grabbed Jade and threw her over her shoulder.

"Hey! Put me down!" Jade struggled, smacking the girl on her back with her fists.

"Let her go!" Jackie said, running forward.

The girl sighed and tossed a scrap of parchment onto the ground between her and Jackie. "Lei Shwei Sai!" she shouted.

The parchment glowed, and a torrent of water erupted, preventing Jackie from getting close. When the water faded, the girl was gone...as was Jade and Cielo. Uncle was following the dark chi detector again, as it led him out of the junkyard.

"What is going on?" Jackie asked in confusion.

"Well, well, well!" a voice said from above. Jackie looked up.

The girl leaped from rooftop to rooftop, down blind alleyways and through tight corners. Jade was getting dizzy. "Ugh! Put me down before I hurl."

"Sorry," the girl said, putting Jade down quickly. "I'm used to you being tougher than this."

Jade steadied herself. "Okay, who the hell are you, anyway? I know you say there's no time, but make time!"

The girl sighed, and took off her hat and glasses. Jade saw before her a girl who could almost be her twin...except for a couple of details. Her eyes were a much darker color, for one thing. And one lock of her hair - just above her brow - was a different color than the rest of it. The girl spoke then, breaking Jade's concentration. "What was it you wanted to know?"

"First off, who are you?"

"Can't tell you that."

"Why not? And how am I supposed to trust you, then?"

The girl laughed. "You're the sci-fi fanatic. You recognized the line. You figure it out. Who am I?"

"Well..." Jade stared at the girl. Almost her twin, except for that lock of hair, which was...

Jade's eyes went wide. "Blue..." she whispered, staring at the lock of hair. "Blue..."

The girl blinked. "Looks like you figured it out. And...it broke your brain. Great. That will make things somewhat difficult." There was a sudden flurry of wings.

Hsi Wu landed beside them both, interposing himself between Jade and the girl. "Alright, you have three seconds to answer my questions and convince me I SHOULDN'T tear you limb from limb!"

"Blue..." Jade said again.

Hsi Wu glanced back at Jade in confusion, then at the stranger girl. He did a few more double takes...then he scratched the back of his head awkwardly, shifting back to Cielo Torres. "Oh. Good three seconds." He was blushing and coughing awkwardly.

"Figured it out too, did you...pops?" The girl smirked at him. "Call me Semana. It's not my name, but if I told you my name, I might risk a paradox."

Jade managed to snap back to herself. "How would telling us your name cause a paradox?" She was pointedly not looking at Cielo.

"Because of who my Mom is," she said grinning at Jade. "If I told you my name, you'd name me something different just to see what it did to the space time continuum."

Cielo chuckled. "Definately your kid, Jade. She knows you too well."

Jade glowered at them both, then chuckled. "I would, wouldn't I?"

Cielo laughed. Then he got serious. "So, why are you here, Semana?"

She pointed out to where Drago made his appearance. "My cousin."

"Hey baby!" Drago shouted, grinning at Semana. "Did ya miss me?"

"Like a rash!" She shouted, hurling a bolt of magic at him. As he evaded, she threw out another parchment and chanted. The parchment activated, and she, Jade, and CIelo were warped away.

They reappeared at the antique shop, on the roof. Cielo blinked. "Why are we here?"

Semana smirked. "That was a safe warp spell. This is my safe spot. Also, it's close to where we're going." She turns and leaps from rooftop to rooftop.

Picking up Jade, Cielo follows suit. "Where ARE we going?"

"To destroy the dragon fangs before Drago gets them so he can use them to ressurect his father, Shendu."

Cielo and Jade shuddered. "Yes," Cielo said. "Let's destroy those fangs."

"We have to get there before midnight. Time shift effects of the spell means time is passing at the same rate in both time periods."

Jade nodded. "Like Chrono Trigger."

Cielo caught up. "What happens if we don't make it in time?"

Semana shuddered. "Shendu has his first meal...on my entire family."

They made it to the place of the Dragon Fangs, only to find Drago had already collected them...and was holding Jackie and Uncle hostage. "Alright, girl!" Drago addressed Semana. "Unless you want them dropping to their deaths, give me the return ticket to the future!"

"Huh?" Jade asked.

Semana smirked. "He wants the spell that'll take me back to the future. But he's not going to get it. LEI SHWEI SAI!" She pointed at the river beneath Uncle and Jackie.

A sudden water spout erupted, and Jackie and Uncle were deposited safely on the bridge. Drago snarled. "You've got Aunt Bai's spells mastered, don't you?"

"Not just hers," Semana said, smirking. She hurled a bolt of black lightning at Drago.

He dodged to the side. "You know the elements well. But you're no match for me!" He charged forward to strike physically.

Charging in, she matched him blow for blow. "I don't need to be. You're SO not my type."

Drago snarled in fury as he moved to get her in a submission hold. "I'm gonna tear you apart!"

Semana feigned flinching back in fear. "It's my first time. Please be gentle."

Drago suddenly backpeddaled. "Hey! I didn't mean it like-"

Semana flipped backwards onto her hands, and used her entire body to thrust a double kick right into Drago's groin. She caught the vial of teeth as he bent over, flipping backwards with it to her feet. "Boys," she said, smiling. "So predictable."

Jade laughed and pumped her fist. "That's my girl!" she shouted.

Smiling, Semana tossed the teeth into the air. "Say goodbye to your plans, Drago!" she said, pulling out...a wishbone. She pointed at the fangs and fired.

A blast of pure white light erupted upward, incinerating the dragon teeth. Drago roared out, "No!" as his chance at ressurecting his father dissolved into mist, just as the fireworks began to go off.

Smirking, she pointed the bone at Drago as he leapt at her. "Now Uncle!" she cried, and fired.

Uncle's blast hit Drago in the back just as her blast hit him in the front. Drago went down for the count. Uncle came forward, looking around, then jerked his thumb at Semana. "Who is know-it-all magical girl who looks like Jade?" He blinked for a moment. "AIYAH!"

Semana smirked. "That's my que. Think you could lock Drago up for me? I don't have the authority to, yet." Pulling out the spell, she warped back to the future. The portal closed behind her.

Uncle shook his head. "That was..." He noticed Jade and Cielo's awkwardness, and grinned. "It looks like you two make beautiful babies!" he said with a grin, as Jade blushed and Cielo coughed uncomfortably. "See, Jackie? Uncle told you Cielo was good influence on Jade! Look how well their daughter turns out!"

"You gotta be kidding me," Jackie said, rubbing the back of his head. "She acts just like Jade."

"Exactly!" Uncle said with a smile. "Good influence!" 


	18. Loose Ends

18. Loose Ends

Jackie and Tohru slowly snuck out of the shop. "Jade must not find out that Captain Black is assembling the J Team again, or she will hatch another one of her schemes." Jackie slowly opened the door.

"Hey Jackie!" Jade said happily, heading into the shop. "Just stopping by to pick up a few- did you say Captain Black is assembling the J Team?" Her eyes got excited.

"Uhh..." Jackie quickly tried to think of some sort of cover.

"Let me guess. Bartholomew Chang broke out of jail again. Well then we can...oh wait, I promised..." She goes quiet, lost in thought seeming to be making a decision.

Jackie watched her nervously. "Uhh, Jade?"

Jade nodded to herself. "I'm gonna sit this one out, Jackie. I've got plans today." She headed toward the shops interior.

Jackie attempted to pick his jaw up off the floor. "Wah...Jade! Are you feeling alright?"

"Course I am Jackie. Why?" She comes out of the back room, having loaded the game system into a bag.

"Well, you just said you'd pass on participating in a crime fighting mission involving the J Team." Jackie paused. "Why am I complaining?"

Jade shrugged. "Yeah, I know, and that would be awesome...but Cielo's never played video games before, and since today's not a school day and our schedules were free, I promised I'd introduce him to the wonders of Super Smash Brothers. Since Paco's in the area, too, he's gonna be joining us. If we can talk Sebastian into taking the fourth control, we can have a real challenge match, all out or with team ups! It's gonna be awesome! I would love to be busting some bad guy butt...but keeping my word's more important." She waved. "Bye Jackie!" She headed out.

Jackie stared at where Jade had been standing. "Did that really just happen?"

Later, the J team - strong a last minute addition - went up against the Chang Gang. The Chang Gang was defeated after a time, and Chang tried to make a run for it. That's when their last minute addition followed through on his orders.

Chang found himself on his back as he ran full tilt into a muscular, furry arm. He then found himself looking up into glowing green eyes.

"Gratch...hungry!" the animal face above him said, in an animalistic growl.

Chang screamed in fear.

Later, Chang was placed in a prison for the criminally insane, as plainly it was impossible for him to have been taken down by an elit crime fighting unit under government orders...that included a vicious flying monkey.

Jade, Cielo, Paco, and Sebastion, meanwhile, spent the day enjoyably playing Super Smash Brothers. While starting out with Melee, the enjoyment of it led to Cielo sending Sebastian out for a Wii, a game copy, and four controllers so that they could play Brawl. The fun lasted well into the evening before Jade and Paco had to head home.

Jackie glared at Jade as she held the Deja Vu stone, trying to defend her actions. She finished off saying, "Face it, Jackie. You NEED me."

Daolon Wong seized the Deja Vu stone. "Many thanks...for the memories!" He held out the stone grinning, and it began to glow.

Jackie began to run forward, but before he got there, the stone...fizzled. "Wah?" everyone asked, shocked.

A voice suddenly emenated from the stone. "We're sorry, but the spell you are attempting can no longer be cast. If you feel you have received this message in error, please contact your local Ley Line administrator and try again later. Thank you and have a nice day."

Daolon Wong stared at the stone. "This cannot be! The Deja Vu stone draws its power directly from the Book of Ages, and through it the flow of time itself! How could it not function?"

Jackie proceeded to kick Daolon Wong aside, catching the stone as it fell. "We will be figuring that out later," he said firmly. "After you are sent back to prison."

Daolon Wong growled, but he knew he was beaten.

Later, Jade spoke with Cielo. "Daolon Wong said the Deja Vu stone worked based on the Book of Ages. Is...is that true?"

Cielo nodded. "It's best not to get involved with that artifact. It is very dangerous."

"Well, Daolon Wong tried to use it, but it didn't work. It said the mystic operation could no longer be performed."

Cielo thought for a time. "Well...if you look at the Book of Ages as a computer system, the Deja Vu stone could be viewed as a controlled remote access terminal. If the source codes didn't match up, it might not work."

Jade nodded. "Then...it didn't work because of how I altered the Book of Ages that let you be on Earth when time was rewritten?"

"Probably. What did you write anyway?"

Jade flushed. "I...I'll tell you about that later, okay?" She starts to get up.

"Jade..." Cielo catches her hand in his. "What did you do?"

She doesn't face him. "On my fragment...where it described my life...I put an asterisk after my name, connecting to a footnote."

Cielo nodded. "That would change history majorly involving your life and those who are a part of it, depending on what you wrote. ...what did you write?"

"...'her fate intertwined with Hsi Wu of Sky.'"

Cielo stared at her, releasing her hand. "Jade..."

"I didn't know what it would do, or what would come of it." She turned to face him, tears in her eyes. "But it was all I could think of. After everything you'd done for me...I couldn't leave you to your siblings torments...or even eternal imprisonment in the Netherworld."

Cielo pulled her into an embrace. "Jade..." His voice was thick with emotion he didn't know how to express.

They stayed there for a time, holding each other tight. 


	19. Eclipse: Shadow Fall

19. Eclipse: Shadow Fall

Cielo stood with Jade and the others as they placed the last Oni mask with the others. "You're saying Tarakudo didn't even put up a fight when you went after this mask?" he asked her, surprised.

"Yeah, I know! So dissapointing. I was really looking forward to the ultimate good vs. evil climactic final battle!" She noticed Cielo staring at the masks in fear. "What?"

"I think it may be still coming." At that point, cracks spread across the masks. Cielo instinctively threw himself over Jade protectively, taking the brunt of the energy release blast as the masks shattered. Carefully, he got up when the light faded. "Are you alright?" he asked her, as the others also got up.

She nodded. "The masks...broke? That's a good thing, right?"

He shook his head. "No. The masks are a prison." Shadows rose from the fragments. "This is a prison break."

As the Oni attacked, Jade repelled them with the dragon talisman, knocking them backward. Cielo helped her to gather up the talismans, and then they ran outside. There, they encountered a sample of each of the nine tribes of Shadow Kahn, and it became a battle royale. They managed to escape - accompanied by Gratch, who disposed of the new Shadow Kahn that attacked - but then the Shadow Kahn came out of every shadow, filling the area.

Then they sank into the ground, and the shadowy shroud spread across the world.

As the shroud passed over him, Cielo clutched at his chest. He could feel what the shroud was doing. It was weakening good chi, and strengthening dark power. Being under the shroud threw off the delicate balance of his demon and good chi, and he could feel it tearing at him.

"Ci!" Jade called out as he collapsed to the ground.

He came to in Uncle's shop, after Uncle cast the spell to hold back the shadows. He listened as plans were made to fight back. Jade took the dog and rat talismans freely, confusing Jackie.

"Jade?" Jackie asked, as she took the two talismans.

"I'm gonna stay here, take care of Cielo. Gratch can go with you and help deal with the Oni."

Gratch nodded fiercely. Everyone collected what talismans they would need - Gratch took none - and headed out in ones and twos to fight the Oni. Gratch went with El Toro, to battle the yellow General.

Jade came over to Cielo. "Okay, CI, let's get you better-"

"There's nothing you can do here, Jade," he told her. "As much as I'd rather you not join the fight, you must. It's only a matter of time before the spell here fails, and then I'll be helpless. You must stop the shroud. You must help save this world."

Jade looked at him. "Are...are you sure? I want to go help, but...in the state you're in, do I dare to leave you here?"

He smiled at her. "I'll be fine. Go."

Her lips quivering, Jade hugged Cielo tight. "Okay, Ci. You be careful."

"You, too." He watched as Jade headed out - animating her 'gargoyle' plushie on her way out - going to Jackie's aid.

Cielo sighed as he lay back. "Mother...watch over her, please. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to her..."

Gratch's team up with El Toro proved most effective. With Gratch taking the flying General, El Toro was able to go toe to toe with the other without distraction.

Viper took on her two generals with great effectiveness, being skilled in fighting uneven odds.

Tohru and Uncle took on the two Generals underground.

Jackie was rather surprised when, while surrounded by the two generals, a familiar demon voice cried out, "Say chi spell!" and a blast of magic sent one of the generals flying backward, and a tail strike knocked the other off its feet.

"Wha- Hsi Wu?" He saw it was Jade's plushie. "That's not a gargoyle!"

"Talk later, Jackie!" Jade called out. "We need to hold the line!"

"Jade! You said you would stay at the shop!"

"And what good would that do? How long before the spell failed, and Cielo would die as his chi tore itself apart? How long before the generals completed the cloak of shadows and came for me? We need every fighter active. Cielo can't help, but I HAVE to!"

The Hsi Wu plushie alighted on Jackie's shoulder. "You know you'll never win in an arguement with her, so is this really the time to bother?"

Jackie sighed. "Good point." He paused. "I'm agreeing with a demonic plushie. I miss the days when my life was sane."

"Aw, come on Jackie! This is much more fun!" They reengaged in battle with the generals.

Tarakudo smirked at Ikazuki. "Within hours this planet will succumb to the forces of-" He shuddered. "Woohoohoohoo."

Ikazuki looked at his master. "The forces of Woohoohoohoo?"

"I'm picking up some...interference." Tarakudo then went to deal with the interference.

His mind powers made dealing with Viper, Uncle, and Tohru relatively easy. El Toro was also easily dealt with, although Gratch was a bit tougher. Eventually, he had to break every bone in the Battle Master's body, and tie him up so he couldn't move, AND knock him unconcious before he could move him to the Section 13 jail cell. "How come the Demons get all the good minions?" he muttered to himself.

When he went after Jackie and Jade, the plushie surprised him somewhat. "A demon plushie? So you do appreciate the forces of Darkness, do you Jade?" Then he grew angry. "Just not mine!" Dealing with them, he added them to the cell with the others.

Ikazuki smirked at the prisoners. "It seems humanity's last line of defense..."

Tarakudo smirked. "Has reached the end of the line." He looked upon them, then frowned. "Wait..." He did a quick count. "We are one short. Where is the boy?"

Ikazuki looked. "You are right, my lord. The boy who draws from both sides of shadow isn't here! He is dangerous! He may be seeking to use our own darkness against us!"

"That can not be allowed! Ikazuki! Fetch him! He will likely be in a bastion of light in this shadow world, somewhere nearby. He is never far from Jade."

"Yes Master!" Ikazuki headed out to fetch Cielo.

When Tarakudo left, Jade turned to the others. "Whatever we do, we'd better do it quick! If Ikazuki takes Cielo out of the shop, he could die!" She fished in her backpack. "What have we got, what have we got...Horse Talisman?" She pulled out the one talisman no one had taken to the fight. "Useless right now. Shoulda left it with Cielo, it mighta protected him from this. My plushie? Useless without the Rat talisman. Hanafuda cards? Useless now." She tossed the cards aside, searching for more things to help.

Three of the cards floated up, glowing, revealing the information on the tenth Oni mask, the one made to contain Tarakudo. Tohru was selected to dive into the Shadow Realm to recover it. However, once he recovered it, he was corrupted by the darkness of the tattoo, and called out, "Tarakudo!"

Tarakudo appeared. "Who calls my na-huh!" He stared at the mask in Tohru's hand. "I will destroy you all!"

The fight began in earnest, as Tarakudo unleashed his mental powers to their fullest to battle them. Eventually, Uncle was able to activate the tenth mask, and Tarakudo was bound to a physical form. The battle was very unbalanced, and it looked like Tarakudo would claim his mask as he approached Jackie. "Now Mr. Chan, if you'll hand over the mask, I'll take care to dispose of it once and for all."

Jackie rolled over...with no mask.

"Tarakudo! Heads up!" Jade leaped forward with mask in hand outstretched. It looked like the victory strike...

Tarakudo sidestepped and delivered a crushing punch to Jade's midsection. "Guh!" she gasped out, managing to hold onto the mask. Then Tarakudo extended his other hand, seizing her from the front in his clawed hand. Jade gasped and coughed up a bit of blood as claws seized cloth and flesh indiscriminately.

"And now," Tarakudo said, grinning evilly, "your last gambit has failed."

To be continued... 


	20. Eclipse: Good and Evil

20. Eclipse: Good and Evil

Jade struggled to breathe in Tarakudo's grasp. Even so, she smirked at him. "How come you haven't made a grab for the mask yet?" she managed to gasp out. "You want it. I know that. Without it, your victory's in question, isn't it? So why not grab it?"

Tarakudo chuckled. "And bring you close enough to place it on my face? I think not. I'm through underestimating you, Jade. You and your little boyfriend were always the wild cards in this game. I'm through taking chances. No matter how close I am to victory, I'm taking nothing for granted."

Jade grinned. "You seem to take for granted that Ikazuki can bring him in."

"Ikazuki is my mightiest general! No matter what power the child has, he won't do well once Ikazuki catches him by surprise!"

Jade actually managed to laugh in Tarakudo's face. "Who says he'll be surprised?"

Tarakudo smirked. "A good bluff, Jade, but I am not fooled." He glared at the others. "Stay back...or I rip out her sternum." Suddenly, Tarakudo put his other hand to his head. "Ikazuki, what-"

"Lord Tarakudo!" Ikazuki's voice was filled with pain, though only Tarakudo and Jade could hear it. "The child is no child! He is-Gyugh!" All that followed was a gurgling sigh.

"Ikazuki! Ikazuki!" Tarakudo suddenly felt direct control of Ikazuki's Shadow Kahn tribe shift to him. He knew what that meant, as the shadows rippled in response to the shift in power. "What did he do to my General?" he demanded of Jade in a hissing voice.

Jade grinned at him, coughing up a bit more blood. "The same thing..." she whispered, "...he'll do to you...when he sees what you've done to me..."

Tarakudo glowered at Jade. "Your overconfidence in him will be your downfall," Tarakudo whipsered, "when I present his head to you on a silver platter!"

There was a sudden crash, and something came flying in through the roof. It rolled to a stop at Tarakudo's feet...and he gazed into Ikazuki's sightless, lifeless eyes.

Jade smirked. "Who's head?"

With a beastial roar, the roof and several floors above them tore apart...and Hsi Wu descended in a cloud of dark energy, his eyes glowing red, his claws cruelly extended, his wings mantled. He lifted his head and glared into Tarakudo's eyes, grinning evilly. "Wanna play...ball?" Hsi Wu asked, his voice crazed.

Jade stared at him in shock. "Hsi?" She didn't know what was wrong with him. Then she felt the waves of madness from her charm, and she knew. This was the first stage of destruction caused by his imbalanced chi. The power flooding into him through his demonic side was driving him berserk, causing him to become crazed.

Tarakudo stepped back, shocked. "So it was you!" He grinned, tossing Jade aside. "Now it all makes sense!"

Jade flew through the air, and was caught by Gratch, who set her down gently. "You healed fast," she mumbled to him, struggling to remain concious.

Gratch grinned. "Dark make strong!" he grunted.

Jade nodded, turning to watch the conflict unfolding. Hsi Wu and Tarakudo squared off against each other, Tarakudo calmly furious, Hsi Wu crazed and twitching. Tarakudo spoke. "This will be all too easy." He lunged forward.

Hsi Wu hopped up onto the extended arm, wrapping his tail around it for balance, before delivering rapid kicks to Tarakudo's face. "Sorry! I bumped up the difficulty. You're fighting on Insane!" Hsi Wu giggled madly before seizing Tarakudo by the head and smashing his own head into Tarakudo's forehead.

Tarakudo staggered backward. "Insolent whelp!" he snarled, shaking his head to clear it. He charged in to fight again.

The fight quickly grew more and more intense, as neither opponent could get enough space to do more than punch, kick, block, or evade. Then, Tarakudo got in a lucky grab...and ripped off Hsi Wu's right wing.

Hsi Wu roared in pain, but countered with a blistering fury of strikes that ended with a sickening snap. Tarakudo staggered backward, favoring his broken right leg. Hsi Wu charged in.

Jade and the others could only watch in shock and fear as the battle became even more intense, and more brutal damage occured. Within moments, Hsi Wu suffered from three broken limbs and a half cut off tail, while Tarakudo had all his ribs crushed and both legs broken.

Hsi Wu lunged in, extending both arms, ignoring the break in his left arm. Tarakudo caught the incoming strikes and held them back. "What does it take to kill you, demon?" he demanded.

Hsi Wu grinned insanely. "Sorry, you can't manage that!" A sudden kick hit with a wet tearing. "You ain't got the guts!"

Tarakudo staggered back, clutching at his abdomen...and Jade slammed the mask onto his face from below. "RAH!" he screamed in fury as the eight remaining generals and all nine tribes of Shadow Kahn were pulled into the mask with him, trapping them forever.

With the dissapearance of the shroud of shadows, Hsi Wu's chi rebalanced, and he regained his sanity and control of himself. "Jade..." he whispered. Then the pain of his injuries hit him, and he collapsed.

"Hsi!" Jade cried, falling over as her own blood loss caught up to her. Fumbling, she reached into her pocket, pulling out the Horse Talisman. She dropped it a couple of times, but managed to take hold of it. She placed it in Hsi Wu's hand, keeping her own hand wrapped around it. She knew the Talismans had their limits, but Horse had never been tested to this extent of injuries. Without Dog to keep them alive, would it work fast enough?

Nothing happened.

"No..." Jade whispered as she lost conciousness. She fell across Hsi Wu's body, her hand still in his, clutching the Talisman.

To be continued... 


	21. Eclipse: A New Day

21. Eclipse: A New Day

Jackie and the others slowly approached where Jade and Hsi Wu lay. "Is she...are they..." Jackie couldn't bring himself to ask the question.

Uncle shook his head. "I don't know. Jade has Horse Talisman, so they should be healing, but..." Uncle hung his head. "I do not know."

"Yo, Gratch!" Viper called out. "What are you doing?"

Gratch had picked up Hsi Wu's severed wing and the piece of his tail that was severed, and was carrying them over to the rest of him. "Puzzle pieces!" Gratch grunted. He put the wing and tail up against the points where they had been seperated from. Stepping back, he started grunting rythmically, plainly chanting in his native wordless tongue. A sphere of energy appeared between his hands.

Uncle's eyes went wide, and he held up his blowfish. "Yu Mo Gwai Gwaai Fai Di Zao...Yu Mo Gwai Gwaai Fai Di Zao..." The blowfish glowed.

"Uncle! What are you doing?" Jackie asked.

"Giving the horse a kick!" Uncle cried, firing a blast of magic at the talisman. At the same time, Gratch threw his sphere of magic forward.

The magics hit the Talisman, and it flared brightly. Hsi Wu's limbs straightened as the broken bones healed. The wing and tail reattatched, and damage to his internals repaired themselves. Jade's chest glowed briefly, and her color improved. Hsi Wu awoke as the light faded. Ignoring those around him, he scooped Jade into his arms, putting his fingers to her neck. She briefly stirred, but only shifted from unconciousness to exhausted slumber.

Hsi Wu smiled. Spreading his wings, he took flight, carrying Jade into the air.

"Jade!" Jackie called out, running forward. Gratch stopped him. "Gratch! Where is he taking Jade?"

Gratch grinned, pointed at Uncle, then walked back to his room in Section 13.

Uncle nodded, understanding. "Jackie, Tohru, help Captain Black clean up Section 13. I will return to my shop to check on Jade and Cielo." He turned and left.

Jackie stared around. "How did he know Hsi Wu was taking her there?"

"Don't think about it too hard, handsome," Viper said as she moved to help him with clean up. "The old man knows demons."

El Toro nodded. "Si. Whatever is going on, he will tell you what you need to know."

Tohru shook his head. "Probably best if we don't know more than we need to, here. We might not like what we hear."

Jackie sighed. "I'm not cut out for all of this! I'm an archaeologist!" Sighing again, he went back to work.

Uncle opened the door to his shop. Cielo stood there, leaning against a table, out of breath. Jade sat in a chair, looking barely awake...clutching a book that looked on the verge of falling apart. "Jade? Cielo? Something wrong?"

Jade looked up at Uncle. "Uncle...there's something I need to talk to you about." She set the book on the table. "About something that both did...and didn't happen."

Uncle sat down, looking at the book. "Tell me."

Jade swallowed. "In Hong Kong, when we visited my parents...Shendu's spirit possessed Jackie, and used him to go to a hidden temple...where he altered the Book of Ages. This changed the world so that he and his siblings were never banished. ...because I managed to tear a fragment of the book out before the book was altered - specifically, the fragment that was my life story - I wasn't altered, so I remembered." She pushed the book to him. "Eventually, I was able to change things back...but some things survived from that timeline, since changing it back took nearly a year. This book...is my diary from that year, a chronicle of events that happened only in memory. I...I would like you to read it, and then talk with me about it. ...wake me when you're done, and please...don't tell anyone else." Jade walked into another room to lay down.

Uncle turned to Cielo. "You do not seem too surprised by all of this," Uncle said calmly.

Cielo nodded. "Read, and then I will explain my role in this."

Nodding, Uncle opened the book to read.

Two hours later, Uncle closed the book. Jade was still asleep, and the others had not yet returned. He looked at Cielo. "What did the last entry mean, today's the day? I presume you found out, since you were there that day, right...Hsi Wu?"

Cielo sighed. "Figured it out, did you?"

"It was obvious, once I realized the Book of Ages was involved. So, what did she mean?"

"That was the day she revealed to me what was really going on. After that...I helped her to change things back, choosing to betray my brothers and sisters to help her reclaim her own world."

Uncle nodded. "And when you faced your siblings, Jade used the Book of Ages to give you the power to fight them...which is why you have good chi now?"

Cielo chuckled. "You're good, old man."

"Pfeh!" Uncle said dismissively. "When you've studied magic as long as I have, very little catches you flat footed for long. You know that, yes?"

Cielo nodded. "Yes. After I used my good chi to banish my siblings to the Netherworld, Jade put her fragment back in the Book...after altering it."

"Eh? Altered how?"

"I wasn't there, but she recently told me...she added a footnote to her fragment, so that her life story read, 'And Jade Chan, her fate intertwined with Hsi Wu of Sky, grew to become a wiley accomplice in the battle against evil.'"

Uncle nodded, thinking hard. "I see. That is why you were on Earth when the timeline was repaired...and why Jade seemed different when we got back from Hong Kong. The year weighed on her, she could talk to no one...and until she found you were here, she thought she had failed you."

Cielo nodded, sadly.

Uncle nodded to himself. "It is good thing Jade did not write demon there. Once she gave you good chi, you weren't demon anymore." Uncle sipped the tea Cielo had prepared for them at his request.

"I'm not a demon anymore? Then...what am I?"

"That is matter for existential speculation of later date. More important question..." Uncle stared him down. "Question that will decide what I do from now on with this knowledge...is who are you now?" As Cielo opened his mouth, Uncle held up his hand. "Answer truthfully, not quickly.

Cielo was silent for a while. Then he smiled, blinking away tears. "I am Cielo Torres," he said, and felt his chi realign as his sense of self finally matched his new form.

Uncle nodded, smiling. "Good. I will do as Jade asked, and keep this between the three of us. But...why did she choose to speak? She had kept secret for long time, and probably could have kept it indefinately. Story held up, so why tell me?"

"Because she needs your help with the nightmares that plague her." Cielo looked up at Uncle. "She has these nightmares where she's back in Demon World, watching as all of you die. Not having anyone but me to talk to about it was really hard on her, especially since she'd learned to hide herself so well that only I could tell something was wrong."

Uncle nodded. "We will let her sleep. When she wakes, I will talk with her privately." He looked closely at Cielo. "You are asleep on feet. Go nap! You need it."

Cielo nodded, feeling exhaustion catch up to him. He followed Uncle to a bed and lay down. It would not be until he woke that he realized Uncle had put him to bed on the other half of the large bed Jade had lay down on.

"Sleep well, children," Uncle mumbled, watching the two children older than their years slumber. "Tomorrow is a new day...for all of us." Turning the light out, he closed the door on the peaceful dreamers. 


	22. The Past Haunts

22. The Past Haunts

As Jackie and Uncle watched the stars through the telescope, Jade, Cielo, and Tohru engaged in a silly belching contest. Jackie, about to criticize Jade for her bad manners, turns when Uncle tugs his sleeve.

Uncle smiles benignly at Jackie. "We are only young once. Let Jade enjoy her youth, while she still has it."

Jackie looked at Uncle strangely, then frowned worriedly. "Is there something you know that I don't?"

"Only that Jade has proven magnet for trouble in the past," Uncle said, gazing through his telescope. "And alignment of stars say this is very good time for very bad chi..."

Meanwhile, down below, Drago felt the alignment of the stars and the awakening of evil power, and began his escape, blasting the cell bars back with fire. Captain Black attempted to hold him in, but his tech weapons proved no match for Drago's fire power. Gratch was conspicuously absent, and not assisting.

Jackie went to provide assistance...and Jade jumped in as well, much to Jackie's dismay. When Drago attempted to roast her, Cielo managed to pull her out just before the flames hit her, using a spell to pull her through a wall.

"Woah," she said after passing through. "That was trippy."

"Yeah...trippy." Cielo was clutching his head, doubled over.

"Ci! Are you okay?"

"No...I'm not." He staggered to his feet. "Dark power...it's really strong."

"Drago?"

"No...something else. We...we should be careful." Cielo stumbled over his feet and fell. Jade caught him.

"You don't look well at all, Ci. Those bad chi stars Uncle was talking about must be affecting your demon side. You should probably stay home from school tomorrow." Jade helped him to his feet, a worried frown on her face.

He smirked. "And let you talk Uncle into writing you a skip note on the grounds you're too worried about me? We both need to attend school, Jade."

"Psh, like they teach anything you don't already know." Jade acted derisive, but was secretly releived that Cielo could still focus on such things.

"Well, science is pretty instructive...but mainly I attend for future use of paperwork. Easier to get a job later with a diploma." He smiled. "Gotta think about the future, you know?"

Jade shook her head. "Nah. I'd rather focus on now. And unless you're better tomorrow, you're staying home, got it?"

Cielo nodded. "Okay. But only if YOU go, either way."

Jade nodded. "Deal." She listened. "Sounds like Drago made his getaway."

Cielo nodded. "Yeah. I'll get Gratch to take me back to my place. Seems like he's no longer distracted."

"Why wasn't he helping fight Drago anyway? He could probably have torn Drago to pieces."

Cielo grinned. "It seems one of the female agents here took a shine to him. They were both...occupied."

Jade blushed bright red. "Don't want to know."

"Me neither," Cielo said with a grin, as the door opened. They each made their seperate ways home.

Cielo didn't feel any better the following morning, so he called Jade to let her know he'd be staying home...and to make sure SHE wouldn't be. Towards afternoon, he was feeling better, so he headed over to Uncle's shop. When he got there, it was to see Uncle researching a spell of some sort with Tohru's help, while Jackie was leaned against a counter. Jade sat in the middle of the room, plainly bored out of her mind...but there was something off about her.

"Jade," Cielo asked without thinking, "why do you have demon chi inside you?"

Everybody turned to stare at him. Jackie spoke first. "Cielo, I am sure you are just a little dizzy from your illness this morning. Jade does not-"

At that moment, Jade was unable to hold in her explosive belch, which sent a strong wind blowing through the room. Uncle glowered at Jackie. "Next time expert talks, listen!" Uncle nodded, smoothing his hair. "Now we know why Drago not use wind demon chi from immortal fan. Chi is inside Jade!"

"Hoo boy," Jade said, worried. "Looks like I just hit Drago's most wanted list."

"If he tries to hurt you, I'll rip him apart!" Cielo snapped. THen, as he tried to tap into his chi to back that up, he got dizzy. "Ughuh..." He shook his head. The dizzyness passed as soon as he stopped trying to tap into his chi. He found Uncle holding him up.

"Bad chi stars amplify your dark chi. To use your chi effectively, it must be in balance. Alignment will end tomorrow. Do not use chi until then. Jade will stay here until Uncle prepares removal spell."

"Bad idea," CIelo mumbled. "The anti demon barrier on the shop won't stop him. He's half demon, and the barrier won't hold him. Also, he could easily summon servants or empower human servants to do it for him. The shop is too easily breached, and has too few defensible positions. Also, there's too much here that's easily damaged by fire and wind, and Jade might need to use the demon chi to defend herself."

Uncle thought. "Hmm...good point. But Section 13 is also bad place for similar reasons. Too many people in way if comes to battle."

Cielo smiled. "She can stay at my place. I'll call on Gratch for backup. Gratch enjoyed duking it out with Shendu and Tarakudo's general. I think he'll love the notion of duking it out with Drago, and I can move most of the breakable stuff out of the way ahead of time."

Uncle nodded. "Sounds good. I will be there with removal spell as soon as it is prepared."

Jackie drove Jade and CIelo back to Cielo's house, then returned to Uncle's shop (under protest, but under Uncle's orders). Jade helped Cielo inside. Cielo tried to ignore the physical changes the chi was inflicting her with.

"So, Ci," Jade said conversationally, "what do you want to do while we wait for Drago to come after me?"

"Engage perimiter defenses," Cielo mumbled blearily.

"Ha ha, very fu-" Jade stopped as glowing circles appeared on all the walls and floors, ceilings too, and a glowing green barrier spread to cover the entire house, followed by a black one. Both glows then faded.

Cielo stepped away from Jade and stretched. "Ah. Much better." He smiled, then noticed Jade's shocked expression. "The perimiter defenses for my house against magical intrusion. Set them up as soon as I bought the house. Only those on the approved chi list in the spell weave will be able to enter without being severely weakened. It should also slow the demon chi's corruptive influence on you, in theory."

Jade smirked. "Well, this ought to be fun."

Two hours later...

"Weak and Worthless!" Drago snarled at the enforcers, as they were pinned against a wall outside Cielo's house. "You're pathetic!"

"Hey, that's not fair!" Chow spoke up. "You got your ass handed to you, too!"

"I was fighting one of Hsi Wu's Battle Masters! Those things are considered equal to a thousand lesser demons and just shy of the strength of a demon sorcerer! YOU were fighting a couple of kids and a crotchety butler! What's your excuse!"

"Well, Jade had the Wind Demon chi," Fin began, counting off excuses. "Cielo is descended from your Uncle Hsi Wu, and the butler had super powers or something!"

"Super powered butler? Really?" Drago's rejoinder was heavy with sarcasm.

"Yeah!" Ratso spoke up, not catching it. "He was jumping from wall to wall swinging glowy swords! Those things hurt, man!" He rubbed his arm where a wicked cut was still visible.

"RRGH! You're worse than pathetic! You're fired!" Drago took his chi back from the enforcers and left.

Ratso looked to the others. "Uhh...anyone heading by the petting zoo?"

Back inside the house, Jade looked at Sebastian in shock. "Where did you learn to fight like that?" she asked in awe.

Sebastian shrugged. "From my father. It's a part of the skill set you need in this job."

Jade blinked. "You need to know how to kick demon ass to be a butler?"

He nodded. "To do it right, you do."

Jackie, who had gotten there in time to see the end of the fight as Sebastian propelled Ratso through a window at considerable speed via a boot to the head, nodded. "Remind me not to get on your bad side, Mr. Dornez."

Sebastian smiled. "Please, call me Sebastian."

Having successfully extracted the Wind Demon chi from Jade, Uncle came out with the jar. "There are six more Immortal Relics filled with demon chi! We must do research!"

Jackie sighed. "Here we go again." 


	23. Birthday Reloaded

23. Birthday Reloaded

Cielo carefully wrapped up his presents for Jade. Today was her birthday, and he really intended to spoil her. "Sebastian, everything's prepared to shift to Section 13, right?"

"Of course, sir. I have everything prepared." Sebastian had loaded the game systems into the car to drive over to Section 13, where Cielo intended to set up a massive gaming tournament for part of Jade's birthday celebrations.

"Alright." Cielo hefted the boxes. He had three presents for Jade this year, two big, one small. He really hoped she liked them all. "Let's go." Sebastian drove them over to Section 13.

Once there, Cielo was surprised to discover no trace of Jade or the others. He pulled out his cell phone and called Jade. "Jade? Where are you? I'm here for your birthday but you aren't."

"I'm in San Diego," Jade said, sounding very grumpy. "Dai Gui's chi activated, so we're at a flower shop to find the immortal flower. Can you believe this happened on my birthday?"

"Damn. Well, I'll be there in two shakes of a lamb's tail, okay?"

"Sure. See you soon." She hung up.

Cielo put away his phone and pulled out a different magical focus. He applied the ingredient mix to it, then began to chant. "Dai wo Dao Na'er..." He shook his hand. "Dai wo Dao Na'er..." He shook his hand again. Magic surrounded him. As the spell formed, he grabbed the small gift and stuck it in his pocket.

Jade was rather surprised when a cloud of magic formed over Drago's head just as they both were grabbing for the immortal flower. Cielo fell out of the cloud, landing on Drago and knocking him flat. He looked up at her. "Looks like my calculations were a little off," he said humorously.

Jade, meanwhile, was staring at his magical implement. "Is that...a lamb's tail?"

"Where did you think the phrase came from?" he asked jokingly. He hopped off Drago as he began to rage, only to get kicked in the head by Jade. Uncle pulled the chi out of the flower, and Drago left in a fury.

Things looked like it would be okay and back to Jade's brithday...right up until the moon demon chi came active at the zoo. Jade was seriously put out.

While they were alone at the zoo, Cielo stood with Jade as she seemed down. "Not as much fun as being on national TV, huh?"

Jade giggled. "You saw that?"

"Yeah. You were pretty awesome there. I can't believe they disqualified you like that, though. So unfair."

"Meh. Not all that important." Jade smirked. "You've got all that stuff we would have won anyway, and I'd have nowhere to put it."

"Yeah. Speaking of having things, though..." Cielo pulled out the small box. "The bigger gifts are back at Section 13...but I thought you might like having one now. Happy Birthday."

Jade smiled happily and opened the gift. It was a green jade stone cut into a perfect sphere, with the kanji for 'long life' emblazoned in gold. She smiled. "Aw, Ci..." Pulling up her sleeve, she fished out her charm bracelet, which she always wore. On each of the gift holidays, in addition to whatever other gift he got her, he got her another charm for the bracelet. Next to the first one was a red jade heart with the kanji for 'love' embalzoned in gold. She attatched the latest one next to it. "It's wonderful." She gave him a big hug.

Tohru came up with cotton candy. "Oh, well, now my extra gift seems kinda small." He hands her the cotton candy.

"Aw, T!" She takes the cotton candy, hugging him too.

Although they succesfully recovered the Moon Demon chi - and then both when the chi-o-matic malfunctioned - by the time they returned to Section 13, Jade and CIelo had fallen into an exhausted slumber. Tohru carried them both gently into the area where everyone waited to celebrate Jade's birthday. Everyone watched silently, and the observant noticed that Jade's hand had somehow, in sleep, found its way into Cielo's. 


	24. Sky's the Limit

24. Sky's the Limit

"The Immortal Flute," Uncle was saying to Jackie, as they approached the carousel in the Australian amusement park. "Used to seal Hsi Wu the Sky Demon over a thousand years ago." Uncle smiled. "Don't be surprised if we're beaten to this one!"

"What?" Jackie said in shock. "You think Drago will get to this one first? We must hurry-" Uncle lightly struck Jackie on the forehead. "Ow!"

"Not Drago!" Uncle pointed to the carousel as it slowed to a halt. "Them!" Jade and Cielo waved from the carousel, Cielo clutching a containment jar, plainly full. "Did you forget the source of Cielo's power?"

Jackie sighed. "Oh. But what about Drago?"

Smirking, Uncle pointed to the large furry creature who stood near the carousel. "Gratch probably took care of him!"

"And no one noticed Gratch because...?"

Uncle pointed at the sign next to Gratch, which read, "G'day mate! Climb the monkey: A$5!" "No better way to blend in then to be obvious!" Gratch currently had his arms spread as three kids - none older than five - climbed over him and swung from his outstretched arms, one sitting on his head, as excited parents took pictures. Gratch had a huge grin on his face.

Jackie blinked a few times. "You gotta be kidding me."

When they returned to America, Jade and Cielo each headed to bed, as they had to be ready for the school field trip in the morning. They were pretty excited to be exploring the Winzer Mansion - a famous haunted house.

Both were rather unpleasently surprised when Ms. Hardman insisted that they sit apart on the long bus ride there. "The two of you have a tendency for mischef lately," she explained, "and it just seems to amplify the longer you are in close proximity during school. I'd appreciate a quiet bus ride, you two."

Jade pouted, grumbling at the unfairness of it. She got even more irritated after Ms. Hardman confiscated the chi-o-matic she'd snuck along for entertainment on the long bus ride. "Magic isn't electronic," she muttered to herself. Ms. Hardman was so unfair to her!

After a large bump in the road, Jade suddenly felt a little dizzy, and for some reason wished they were up in the mountains. Cielo, watching from his seat elsewhere in the bus, grew worried.

By the time they reached the mansion, Jade was plainly ill. Ms. Hardman was all for turning around and taking her back, but Cielo stepped forward. "Ms. Hardman, I think Jade's just a little motion sick from the long bus ride. I'm not feeling too hot myself. I think I should just take her to one of the mansion's bedrooms and let her lie down."

Ms. Hardman nodded. "That sounds like a good idea." The tour guide gave them directions, and Cielo helped Jade up to a bedroom - which just happened to be on the top floor and had a wide window.

"So much the better," he mumbled to himself.

"You know what's wrong with me, don't you?" Jade asked him.

"The chi-o-matic wasn't empty."

Jade blinked. "Hoo boy." Her whole body convulsed. "But it didn't feel like this when I was carrying the Wind Demon chi!"

"This is your second time carrying demon chi. Like with most corruptive influences, successive exposures are harder on the system. Once the chi is fully settled, you'll get a full blown transformation." Cielo smirked. "Given this will include growing a tail, you'll probably regret not wearing a skirt today."

Jade snorted. "You know I hate wearing skirts!"

"You seemed pretty comfortable in your Buttercup Scout uniform the other day."

Jade looked away, blushing. "Only cause you said it looked cute on me," she mumbled under her breath.

"What was that?" Cielo looked at her closely.

"I said - GIYUGH!" Jade suddenly flinched as her whole body twisted and distorted.

Her limbs and torso lengthened noticably, becoming more streamlined. Wings sprouted from her back, and her clothes tore as her hands and feet became claws. Back pointed hooked talon-like protrusions extended from her elbows, and large bat-like ears rose from her head.A thick tail extended from her cocyx, thankfully not doing too much damage to her pants. Talon-like potrusions extended from her knees to match the ones on her elbows. Her skin changed color.

When the transformation ended, she sat down on the bed and glanced at herself in the mirror. "Woah, trippy," she muttered as she examined herself. She was sky blue, as expected. Her black hair now cascaded all the way down her back between her wings. Her eyes glowed red, and the talons at knees and elbows - like the claws on her hands and feet -were a bloody crimson. Her teeth were all razor sharp, and she was at least two feet taller. While all of this she could greet with equanimity, there was one change she noticed right off the bat that she had to question.

"Ci," she asked, her voice rather acid. "What are these?" She pointed at herself, glowering.

Cielo blinked. "They're called breasts, last I checked."

"I know that. Why do I have them?"

"Because...you're a girl?"

"Cielo, I'm 12! Teenage girls have breasts!"

"Well, from the looks of things, you have a teenage body just now. I'd estimate your physical age at about 16."

"WHY?" Jade was plainly not happy.

Cielo thought for a time. "Well, it can't just be from having my demon chi inside you..."

"That's not all I'd like inside me," Jade purred. Then she blinked and covered her mouth, turning bright red. "What the hell did I just say?"

"Some rather obvious inuendo. Which means you somehow have a teenage mind to go with your teenage body, but that would mean..." Cielo suddenly snapped his fingers. "The Book of Ages! When you altered it, and turned back time, you were standing right next to it! That's an entire year worth of raw quantumn potentia magic inside of you! It didn't do anything with the Oni mask because that didn't transform you...and the transformation with the Wind Demon chi was too gradual, so nothing happened there. But since this transformation was all at once, it mixed with the time magic inside you! This will probably happen with any other total body transformations you undergo in the future as well, and-" He paused. "Jade, why are you on the windowsill?"

"Bored now. Wanna fly."

CIelo sighed. "Jade...you need to be careful, given that Drago will be after you."

"Right. And if I'm here when Drago gets here - along with you - then any spooks actually here in this house will get woken up due to the concentration of negative chi. So we should leave now to keep the other students safe."

Cielo couldn't argue. He'd felt the spirits beginning to stir already. "Okay, you've got a point." He shifted his form.

Jade turned, grinning. "Alright, come on Hsi-...Wow!" She found herself drooling a little.

Hsi Wu's demon form had changed. He no longer looked wizened and emaciated. He had grown quite a bit taller, standing now at least a head over Jade in height, and his musculature had filled out and expanded. His hair - once rather scraggly - was now long and luxurious, and a shimmering silver instead of the previous gray. His face was smooth and unwrinkled, and well fleshed out. He stood straight and tall, no longer hunched over by age. Before, he had had the impression of ancient wisdom and mischef. Now...now, he seemed like a flawless merging of Night elf and Gargoyle!

"What?" He asked Jade, his voice no longer high pitched and raspy, but deep and gravely. He blinked, and glanced at himself in the mirror. He blinked. "I...I haven't looked like this since I was a teenager!" He thought for a time. "My chi did realign when I decided who I was now, turning my back on who I used to be for the last time, and I haven't assumed demon form since then. Maybe-" He found a finger at his lips and looked down.

"Less thinking, 'Goliath'," Jade said jokingly. "There are better muscles for you to be using right now." Turning, she ran and leaped out the window, spreading her wings as she fell.

He chuckled. "Whatever you say, 'Demona'." Laughing to himself at the accurate parallel regarding their altered forms, he sent a spell back to take care of a few details and followed her out the window.

They flew through the air for some time, cavorting happily. After a time they merely glided side by side. Jade sighed. "I wonder if I should stay like this," she said suddenly.

Hsi Wu banked in closer. "What are you saying?"

"Well, think about it, Hsi!" Jade turned to him as they glided. "Just the two of us, going wherever the wind guides us! WIth the demon chi inside me, I'd never die! No more wondering about what my family really thinks, no more nightmares, and no more blasted secrets!" She barrel rolled in frustration. "I'm sick of all the blasted secrets, like how am I going to explain dissapearing from the school field trip.?"

"I already took care of that," Hsi Wu said quietly. "Just a simple spell. The entire class thinks you got worse with the same thing that kept you home the day you had the Wind Demon chi inside you, and I called a cab to take you home. Ms. Hardman even remembers calling Jackie to come get your stuff, which will explain why he shows up to get the Chi-O-Matic."

Jade was silent for a long while. "You...you can manipulate people's memories."

Hsi Wu was quiet. At long last, he whispered, "Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me?" She looked at him, various emotions warring in her crimson eyes.

Hsi Wu watched her for a long time. At long last he broke. "Because I was afraid if I did, you'd ask me to use that spell on you!"

"What? Why would I want you to manipulate my memories?"

"Because memories are the source of dreams! If you don't remember something, you don't dream about it." Hsi Wu closed his eyes. "I was afraid you'd ask me to remove your memory of what happened...the part of that year that haunts your nightmares."

Jade stared at him for a long time. "I take it...you couldn't?"

"No. I probably could. But...it would mean removing your memories of the entire year. Everything we shared, everything we came to mean to each other. I...while I would gladly give up our bond if it meant sparing you the pain you are tormented with...it wasn't my choice to make for you, and I...I was afraid of the choice you might make." Hsi Wu let the tears fall from his eyes. "I was afraid...you might choose to be free of the pain...even if it meant giving up our bond." He suddenly flinched back as Jade struck his temple. "Ow!"

"Idiot!" She glowered at him. "I deal with the pain of the nightmares everyday, yes. But did you honestly think I'd give up even a moment of what we've come to be, just to escape pain? Did you really think I was that weak?" Floating over, she wrapped her arms around him. "Did you really think you meant so little to me?"

"Jade..." Hsi's voice was thick with emotion. "...I'm sorry..."

"It's okay..." They flew like that for a while, then Jade pulled back. "So...how easy is it to manipulate memories, anyway?"

"Depends on a lot of variables. Long term versus short term memory, believability, whether you're extracting or just altering, individual or group memory..."

"So," Jade interrupted, "how difficult was it to manipulate the entire classes memory?"

"Extremely easy, actually. Ms. Hardman and the whole class already knew you were sick, so making them believe the sickness got bad - given your recent history along those lines - was easy. Me being the one to take you home actually followed that naturally. I hardly had to alter anything there in anyone."

"Oh? Why?"

"Are you kidding, Jade? The entire CLASS knows how I feel about you by now."

Jade blushed. "They...they do?"

Hsi Wu nodded. "Why did you think the girls in class stopped trying to flirt? They knew it was pointless." He smiled at her. "They knew there was only one girl in my eyes."

Jade blushed. "Hsi..." She suddenly banked as a blast of fire nearly singed her wing. THey glanced down.

Drago was preparing to take another pot shot at him. "Hey look!" Jade said, grinning. "It's the Geico Gecko! Let's go see how much insurance he has!" Folding her wings, Jade dove.

"Jade!" Hsi Wu pursued her.

Before long, they reached a height where Drago could leap to attack them physically. He tried to fight them, but two strong, skilled fliers proved more than a match for him, and he was rapidly getting his ass handed to him. Jade compounded the matter by laughing in his face and taunting him mercilessly.

After a time, Hsi Wu got caught up in the excitement of the fight and led Jade up into the air. Laughing somewhat crazed, he began flying in tight circles, releasing magic. Jade matched his flight at the opposite end of the circle. The circle expanded, and the clouds parted to match their flight.

Drago was suddenly in the center of a glowing circle on the ground. The ground beneath him began to bubble, and he screamed in agony.

As a scent reached Hsi Wu's nostrils, he came back to himself. "Break off! Break off!" he shouted at Jade, peeling out of the circle.

Jade flinched and pulled out of the circle. The clouds closed back up. Jade and Hsi Wu glanced down at Drago. He lay there on the ground, moaning in agony as his flesh smoked. Strike Master Ice and his crew came in to carry Drago away, clearly terrified. The scent that had brought Hsi Wu back to himself reached Jade's nostrils. She smelled cooked flesh, and her stomach roiled in protest.

They flew on in silence, coming to rest on the peak of Cielo's home. Jade cuddled against Hsi Wu. "What...what was that we just did?" she asked him, plainly terrified.

Hsi Wu thought hard on how to explain it. "...do you remember when you talked me into going to see 'The Core'?"

"Uh huh. You really enjoyed the concept behind the core stopping its spin collapsing the Earth's electro-magnetic field."

"Remember what happened to areas of the Earth when a hole opened in the EM field?"

"...it got cooked."

"...That's what we just did. We peeled back the EM field of the Earth to form a hole directly above Drago...and the solar wind's microwaves boiled his insides."

Jade chocked. "I think I'm gonna hurl."

Hsi Wu nodded. "That particular spell takes more magic than I can normally generate, as well as more focus, but with the two of us in synch like we were..."

Jade was clearly turning green. "Oh, god...I was enjoying it. The feeling of power, and even his screams..."

"You see why you can't reamin like this? This isn't the girl I fell in love with, Jade." Reaching forward with his fingertips, he made a tugging motion. Responidng to him, his chi left her body, flying into the containment jar Sebastian was holding nearby. He held Jade gently as she returned to her natural form. "This is."

"Hsi..." Jade buried her face in his chest, trying hard not to think about what she'd nearly done...what she'd enjoyed nearly doing.

Hsi Wu shifted back into Cielo and just held her. He chose not to pay attention as Sebastian called Jackie, letting him know Jade was here so he could come and collect her. 


	25. Is it a Wonderful Life?

25. Is it a Wonderful Life?

Hsi Wu flew carefully through the sky, carrying the artifact he'd swiped from the museum. He knew he would get in trouble for this...but there was a ritual he had to perform, answers he needed. Carefully he glided into the hidden area of mountains in Australia, setting down at the cave entrance. Walking to the back, he found the spot he was searching for. "Kuai Kuai Qi Lai...Kuai Kuai Qi Lai..." His chants opened the portal he sought, and he stepped through.

There before him lay the Book of Ages, glowing brilliantly with its magic. He walked up to it, and carefully set the Deja Vu stone upon its pages. The two linked artifacts glowed brightly. "Jade has suffered so much recently, I must know...would she have been better off without me? Would everyone have been better off...if we had never been?"

The stone flared brilliantly, and the window opened, showing the timeline that would have happened had Hsi Wu not arranged for Jade to be sent to his Tower in Demon World. He watched as time was rewritten in a matter of hours, and the events that followed without his presence.

As he watched Jade easily - and joyfully - deal with the situations that she found herself in prior to the start of the animal hunt, he sighed. "She seems happier here, at least...but what about after I rejoined her? Those events are where changes began."

He watched as Jade participated in the hunt for the Talisman powered animals, clearly enjoying every minute of it, and easily handling each new situation. "It seems I really only got in the way. She didn't need me there..." When he saw her magic petting zoo at the school fair, he smirked. "I guess I saved her that panic...but then again, this caused a delay in Daolon Wong summoning Shendu..."

He watched the battle with the ressurected Shendu. "He didn't have reason here to seek the bloody vengeance he sought before. She was safer. Maybe...maybe we should never have been." He reached toward the artifacts.

"Is that really the sort of decision to make without me?"

Hsi Wu turned. "Jade? What are you doing here?"

"You tell me. But I'm glad I'm here to stop you from changing things without asking, Mr. Bailey."

Hsi Wu smiled. "I guess this is rather cliche of me, isn't it? But, after what happened..."

"Just watch, Hsi. Just watch."

At Jade's direction, he watched as further events unfolded. The Masks of the Shadow Kahn.

"See, Jade? If I hadn't been here, Paco would not have sought so much to do you harm."

"But that was minimal, and you stopped him. And as is, I was able to deal with his crush on me now, rather than later, when it might have hurt him more."

"My presence certainly made Tarakudo more violent. See? Without me, you would have stopped him unharmed."

"I rather prefer this outcome. It was a little scary seeing how dangerous you could become when unbalanced, but I felt safe then. There's nothing to really worry about there."

They watched as the stone returned to the moment of Drago's appearance. "It seems I mess you up here, too," Hsi Wu said sadly. "Look at you in the future. When we ran through these events, it was our daughter who came back. Here, it's you: bad ass fighter, head of Section 13, AND skilled magic user. What were you in the future with me here?"

Jade watched. "Umm..."

"Happier, probably."

Hsi Wu and Jade blinked as the image of the future Jade addressed them. "Huh?"

"Think about it," she said, stepping out of the window to stand beside them in a ghostly form. "Do you really think a woman climbs the career ladder that far so young in a male dominated environment like Section 13 without making sacrifices? For me it was my social life. I never dated, never hung out with friends. My work was my life, and it wasn't until I reached the top that I realised how alone I was, and by then, I no longer had time to find someone. I console myself by looking at all the good I do, the people I help...but at the end of the day, my life is empty. When the sun sets on my time...what will I leave behind, beyond a star on the wall that won't even have my name on it?" She sighed. "But you have a chance to avoid that, here. Let time flow the course it has taken, and see where it leads. Not everyone gets a chance to see where the other path would lead...and it has to be better than where I wound up...or at least, less lonely."

Jade turned to Hsi Wu. "You see? My life IS better because you're a part of it. So what if I have a little more danger because of it? That just makes it more exciting." She suddenly hugged him as he turned back into Cielo. "You're a part of my life, Ci, and I wouldn't change that for anything...because this life IS wonderful!"

Cielo blinked away the tears. "Jade..."

The older Jade smiled as the magic faded. "I'm glad we had this chance to talk...and I'm glad you both faced up to this. Now...it's time to wake up..."

Jade and Cielo opened their eyes, and blinked a few times. They were at Cielo's house, in the room that had been prepared for Jade whenever she wanted to stay over. This was where Cielo had put her after removing his chi from inside her. He hadn't realised he'd fallen asleep as well.

Uncle sat nearby in a rocking chair, smiling. "Did you have good dreams, children? Let's go, Jade," he said, not waiting for an answer. "It's time for you to head home and get some sleep. We have big day of demon chi hunting tomorrow."

Jade smiled and stood up, stretching. "Okay Uncle." She stopped a moment after he left the room. Leaning over, she gave Cielo a quick peck on the cheek. "Goodnight Ci."

Cielo sat there completely dazed as she left, his hand going up to touch his cheek. A rather foolish grin spread across his face. 


	26. Third Strike

26. Third Strike

CIelo walked cautiously through the ruins of his brother's palace. Recent events had pushed him to investigate things here he had preferred to leave alone. Although raiding the treasure of Shin Shi Wa had provided for his lifestyle as a human, he had been careful to avoid Shendu's store of magical artifacts, as many of them were extremely dangerous. However, recent events involving Drago had led Cielo to the conclusion that he couldn't put this inventory off any longer.

Cielo had been unable to help with recovering the immortal castanets from the wreck of the Oceanic in the arctic circle. Just as extremely high altitudes strengthened his magic, extremely low ones would weaken it. If he went deep under the water, his magic would weaken to the point he could barely move. If he stayed down there too long, he might die. As such, he had stayed above with Gratch. He had managed to prevent Drago from getting the castanets from Uncle, however, and Drago left empty handed.

The mountain demon chi had been collected without assistance by Jackie and Uncle. However, when they returned with a bag full of chopsticks - knowing only one pair held the demon chi - Uncle had taken the expedient course of asking CIelo to identify the pair in question, which he accomplished in minutes. One more chi beyond Drago's reach in Section 13. As Gratch had taken to sleeping IN the vault, any chi stored at Section 13 may as well be on the far side of the moon, for as close as Drago could get to it.

Cielo carefully began sorting through the magical artifacts stored here. It had occured to him that Drago might seek other sources of magical power to aid in recovering the demon chi, as he had failed miserably in his assault on the shop, since Sebastian had been serving tea to everyone for a job well done. He had been forced to flee, muttering about 'super butlers'.

Cielo's sorting system here was very direct. He checked the magic in each relic to determine compatibility with Drago's fire demon chi. Anything he could use with his chi would be phased through a portal and placed in the care of one of the other Battle Masters. They would guard the relics where Drago couldn't get his hands on them. Any artifacts Drago couldn't use were left where they were, unless they would prove useful in fighting him. Those would be transfered to Section 13, to be used to arm the agents.

Cielo pulled out yet another artifact. "Hmm...this one..." He snapped his fingers as he recognized it. "Man, never figured Shendu for the morbid type! He actually kept this here, in the seat of his power?"

"Kept what?"

Jumping, Cielo tossed the sheathed sword into the air. Jade caught it as it came down. "Jade!" Cielo demanded, "how did you get here?"

Smirking, Jade held up her charm, the Tiger Talisman...and a lamb's tail.

Cielo glowered. "You raided my spellbooks...and my mage lab? How did you get Sebastian to let you do that?"

"I told him that he had three options. Option one, he could use his full skill set to prevent me from gaining access, which would probably lead to me getting hurt by his hands, which you wouldn't be happy with. Option two, he could NOT use his full skill set, which means I do get in, and possibly hurt myself messing with your mage goods, which you would not be happy with. Or, option three, he helps me set up the teleportation spell properly, so I get to go see you without getting hurt." Jade smiled. "He chose option three."

CIelo couldn't help but laugh. "You've gotten very good at wrapping people around your finger." He shook his head. "Be careful with that sword, by the way. It's the one that sealed Shendu."

"Wait...you mean this is the IMMORTAL Sword? Like the other Immortal Relics we've been hunting?" She drew the sword, admiring the weight and balance.

"Yes, so be careful. It is still steeped in ancient magics." Cielo stepped forward carefully. His eyes widened as he saw the sword begin to give off a strange energy. "Jade! Careful!"

"Wouldn't it be cool if some of Shendu's demon chi were in here, like with all the others?" Jade asked, excited, as she swung the sword. Then she noticed the glow. "Ci, what-" The sword suddenly flared. "GYAH!"

"JADE!" Cielo struggled forward through the blinding light.

When the light faded, he stared. Jade stood there, changed. She had once more gained two feet in height, and her skin had changed to bronze scales. Horns sprouted from her head in her hair, and her eyes glowed red. Her body was once more adolescent...that of an adolescent dragon. She stared at the claws that had replaced her hands, at the talons that had replaced her feet, at the rippling muscle bursting beneath the scales. "What...what is this?" she demanded.

"Just like when you absorbed the Sky Demon chi, a full instantaneous transformation triggered, incorporating the time magic inside of you." Cielo walked over and lay his hand on her shoulder. "You absorbed the Fire Demon chi...Shendu's chi."

"Ugh! I don't like the idea of having anything of Shendu's inside me," she muttered. She blushed. "Why is it that only sounds dirty as a teenager?"

Cielo smiled. "Well, the Rooster Talisman is technically a part of Shendu, and I understand you swallowed that whole." His joking grin withered under Jade's burning stare. "Sorry."

"Not. Funny." Jade sighed. "Well, at least the activation of the demon chi should have Uncle running here to get it out. I shouldn't have to deal with this too long." She noticed Cielo's concerned expression. "What?"

"Jade...this is the third time your body has absorbed demon chi. Each time, the transformation has been more drastic. It...it might be possible that this time, the demon chi has...bonded to your life force."

"What...what do you mean, Ci?" Jade stared at Cielo, not wanting to accept what he was saying.

"I'm saying...it may not be possible to extract the fire demon chi from you. You may be stuck with it...forever."

To be continued... 


	27. Uncertain Futures

27. Uncertain Futures

"What? What do you mean forever?" Jade stared at Cielo in shock. "You gotta be kidding me!"

"I'm afraid not, Jade." Cielo sighed. "This is why I've been pushing you to be more careful. Dark magics like this are dangerous, and when the consequences come home to roost..." He shook his head. "Look, maybe there might be a way to undo this, I don't know. The Book of Ages is involved here, too, and nobody understands how that works except my folks. I'm going to do a few tests, take a deep look at your chi...I'll call on them if need be! If this can be fixed...I'll find the way, Jade. If it exists, I'll find it."

Jade sighed. "Whatever...just run your tests."

Cielo nodded sadly. He understood what was going on here. He had convinced her to give up being a permanent demonic entity of his sort...and now she felt trapped in the same boat, but tied to Shendu, who she hated with a passion. It only made sense she blame him...and he was okay with that, as long as he found a way to fix it. If not...he could only hope she could come to terms.

After a time of casting spells and taking a look, examining how the demon chi was interacting with her human chi...Cielo sighed. "Well, I've collected all the data I'll need. Luckily, Shendu had a rather vast library as well, so if there's anything I don't know, I should be able to find it here...if the knowledge exists." He noticed Jade glowering at him, her hands curling and uncurling. He pointed. "Kitchen's that way."

"Thanks," she said coldly. She stormed off in that direction. Before long, there was the sound of smashing crockery and shouted curses.

Cielo sighed. "Well, better get to work." He looked over his notes. As far as he could tell, the demon chi was bonded to her human chi - a very strong bond - but so far it had not yet begun to blend. He didn't know if this was good or bad, and it didn't exactly suggest any good solutions. He turned to head towards the library. "Maybe one of the books will give me a good answer..."

Half way to the library, he was caught off guard as one of the walls smashed in. He was suddenly pinned to the wall. "Well, well, well...what have we here? I feel my old man's chi activate - when he had that sword well sealed where it couldn't be used against him - and who do I find skulking around here but the little Sky boy, Hsi Wu's protege." Drago smirked. "You know, I wanted to double up on chi...why don't I just take yours?"

Cielo's eyes went wide, and he focused his magic, intending to blast Drago back. He was shocked to discover his magic was as weak as if he were underwater. "What the..." Then he saw the glowing runes. He snarled. "It's sheilded."

"That's right," Drago gloated. "All the Demon Sorcerers sheilded their seats of power to strengthen themselves...and weaken any attacker! Right now, those same spells are weakening you...and empowering Shendu's son and heir!" Drago grinned, and his eyes glowed.

Cielo felt his grip on his magic, on conciousness, on life...slipping. If Drago absorbed his demon chi...he'd die. "Jade..." he whispered, determined that his last thoughts would be of her.

Drago laughed. "Don't worry. I'll take GOOD care of your little girlfriend!"

"Yo Drago!" Drago suddenly went flying from a direct right cross to the chin. "Something you overlooked!"

Drago shook his head to clear it. "Who...what?"

Jade stood there, braced in a combat stance. "You may be the son...but guess who the runes think is the heir?"

Drago snarled. "So...that's where pop's chi went! Gotta say, Jade, you look good in scales!"

Cielo smirked from where he lay. "You know, Drago...technically, Shendu's chi inside her right now makes her somewhat your sister."

"Ew! Ci!" Jade made a disgusted face. "I did not need to think about that."

"I know," Drago said with a grin. "Kinda hot!"

Jade stared at Drago with a disgusted look on her face. "Not even if you were the last male specimen in existence." She flung a sphere of fire at him.

He leaped over it...only to have it shoot straight up mid flight to hit him in the crotch. "YEOWCH!" Drago ran around patting at his crotch, trying to put it out. "How'd you do that?"

Jade smirked at him. "You may have been born with fire...but you know NOTHING of what it means to wield power!" Jade formed a sphere of fire in her hands...and lanched a flaming serpent that twisted and turned in the air, hunting Drago.

Drago desperately attempted to evade, countering by throwing fire. The fire was absorbed into the flame snake or caught by Jade, to be added to its power. "Not even pops could manipulate his fire like this!"

"Oh...he could have." Jade smirked. "He had the power. He just didn't think. Anymore than the rest of his bretheren, stuck back in the netherworld!" She glared at Drago, and beams of heat launched from her eyes to sting him on the rump.

Drago leaped away, running outside. Chanting was suddenly heard outside. "Not you old man!" Drago shouted. "GAH!"

Cielo glanced outside. "It's Uncle and the others. Uncle's extracting Drago's fire demon chi!"

"Then maybe Uncle can take this chi out of me!" Jade headed towards the outside.

Meanwhile, Uncle patted the new containment unit as Drago fled. A black dragon-headed serpent image of chi was visible within. "And that makes eight! Demon chi is no longer a threat!"

"But Uncle," Jackie began, "your chi-o-matic detected Shendu's chi in the Immortal Sword! Don't we have to worry about that?"

"I don't think we'd need to," Tohru said. "Shendu is trapped in Section 13, after all."

Right at that moment, the front doors of the palace burst open with a reptilian roar. At the sight of the being stepping forth, Uncle screamed. "AIYAH! SHENDU!"

Jackie and Tohru prepared to fight. Then Tohru blinked as he got a better look. "Jackie, Sensei...why does Shendu have breasts?" Jackie and Uncle both double-taked.

"Jackie! Uncle! T! It's me!"

They all recognized the voice, even distorted by the transformation. "JADE?"

Later, inside, Cielo explained his findings and musings to Uncle, and Uncle prepared to attempt the removal spell.

"Yiu Mo Gwai Gwaai Fai DI Zao...Yiu Mo Gwai Gwaai Fai Di Zao..."

Jade began to glow, and she grinned. Then her smile vanished, and she screamed in pain.

"Uncle!" Jackie shouted. "Stop the spell! You are hurting Jade!"

Uncle stopped the spell. "It is no use. Shendu's Demon Chi is bound to Jade's human chi. If Uncle removes demon chi, it will take a large portion of human chi with it, leaving Jade crippled, half alive...or dead." Uncle let his head sink into his hands. "Uncle knows so much...but Uncle cannot even help Uncle's own family when needed most! Uncle is failure as chi wizard!"

Jade walked over and patted Uncle's arm. "It's alright Uncle...it's not your fault. Cielo told me this would probably be...permanent, since it's the third time."

Uncle nodded sadly. Then he stood. "Uncle will not give up! Come! We must do research!" He stormed off to the library.

Jade smiled. "Guess we'll be here for a while." She leaned back, stretching out. "I'm kinda tired. Wake me when you find something, okay Ci?" Her eyes fluttered shut and she began to snore.

"Okay, Jade." Cielo followed Uncle back to the library while Jackie and Tohru stayed with Jade.

Uncle turned to Cielo. "Neither Jackie nor Tohru have noticed yet...but why is Jade a teenager?"

"The Book of Ages, I think. She absorbed a good amount of time magic when she rewrote fate. All my data indicates it is interacting with the transformative magic of the demon chi." Cielo smirked. "First time this happened, she freaked out. But I think she's not so concerned this time."

"Yes," Uncle agreed. "She has larger concerns. If we do not find a way to seperate fire demon chi from Jade's human chi, she will have to live like this forever..."

Cielo nodded. Then he paused. "...human chi..." He closed his eyes.

"Cielo?"

"I'm calling Gratch. If he can find something for me..." He shook his head. "I won't say anymore. I don't want to get anyone's hopes up." *Not even mine,* he thought to himself.

The next day a shadow passed over the palace as Gratch winged in for a landing. "Did you find it?" Cielo asked him.

Grinning, Gratch dropped the Horse talisman and a small black ceramic fragment into Cielo's hand. Cielo was careful of the sharp points on the fragment. He grinned. "Thanks. Let's hope this works." He turned to head in. "UNCLE! Get everyone up!"

Everyone gathered in the courtyard, watching as Cielo chanted over something in his hand. "Ju Ichi Bu Shun Li...Ju Ichi Bu Shun Li..." He smiled as everyone arrived. "I believe I have our solution. All along, it was..." He held up the Horse Talisman, "...right under our nose."

Uncle shook his head. "Horse Talisman will not work. Demon chi will not be veiwed as invasive force, especially since it is FIRE demon chi, and like Talisman, comes from Shendu."

"You're over thinking it Uncle." He walked up to Jade, holding the fragment of black ceramic, which now glowed with dark energies. "I'm sure Ruby will forgive me this saying, but...as life is in magic, there's more than one way..." He swung the fragment, scratching Jade on the arm as it discharged its energies. "...to skin a cat."

As the energies released, Jade shifted. Scales became fur. Horns withdrew as ears extended. A tail extended from her cocyx, whipping back and forth. Talons became paws, and clawed hands became more normal sized. Where once was a teenage dragon girl, was now...a teenage cat girl.

A ghostly sword floated over Jade, glowing blue. Uncle activated his chi-o-matic, and sucked the sword into the containment jar. Everyone stared. Jackie spoke first. "But how..." Then he recognized what was in Cielo's hand. "A fragment of the Cat of Khartoun! But without the antidote-"

"Jackie," CIelo said, shaking his head. "Listen. The demon chi was bonded to Jade's human chi. The cat of Khartoun alters a person's chi into a feline state, which causes the transformation. The change in her chi severed the bond to the demon chi, purging it. And antidote..." He held up the horse Talisman. "...implies toxin, which the horse talisman can purge."

Jade looked at Cielo, and a huge grin spread across her face. Without warning, she pounced, curling up against - and around - Cielo, purring happily, pinning him so he could hardly move. Jackie, Tohru, Gratch, and Uncle watched happily.

After a time, Cielo spoke up. "Umm...Jade, you are going to let me cure you now, right?" The only response was more purring. "Jade?" 


	28. What Dreams May Come

28. What Dreams May Come...

Jackie walked with Uncle into the cavern under the island they were visiting. Uncle noticed Jackie's distracted state. "Jackie! We are recovering dangerous magical relic! Focus!"

"Sorry, Uncle. It's just..." Jackie sighed. "What happened earlier is still bothering me."

"Why?"

"What happened when we came down here..."

Flashback...

Jade tossed a frisbee towards Cielo as everyone relaxed on the island vacation. She saw Jackie and Uncle going into the water. "Jackie! Uncle! Where you going?"

Jackie looked up. "Ah...snorkeling! To look for seashells."

Jade nodded. "Okay! Have fun!" She waved.

Jackie was shocked. He had expected to have to fast talk to get Jade to stay on shore. "Don't you want to come Jade?" he found himself asking.

Jade shook her head. "Nah. Cielo doesn't do well underwater. Don't want him to feel left out." She leaped, kicking off a tree to catch Cielo's throw. "Heads up, Ci!" She threw it back.

End of Flashback...

Jackie sighed. "You were right Uncle. Cielo IS a good influence on her. Spending time with him has taught her discipline, consideration, and compassion for others."

Uncle nodded. "Uncle told you so. But why Jackie sad about that?"

"Because I was supposed to be teaching her that! That's why her parents sent her to live with me, after all." Jackie sighed. "But all I seem to teach her is what's 'too dangerous', and getting her into more trouble when she tries to spend time with me."

Uncle raised an eyebrow. "Are you jealous of Jade's boyfriend?"

"No! No!" Jackie waved his hands. "Nothing like that. I just...I'm worried for her future."

"Pfeh! You saw their future daughter. Nothing to worry about."

"Yes, I remember that girl was just like Jade...but I'm just worried about what sort of parent Jade is in the future. We never did find that out."

"We will someday. You worry too much. Now, help Uncle recover Arcanum!" Jackie and Uncle pried the half sphere from the wall, then managed to escape the squid monster that attacked.

Back at Uncle's shop later, Uncle, Tohru, and Cielo were unable to craft a good spell to reveal the location of the other half of the arcanum. Although they were discouraged, Jade shrugged it off.

"You said this thing was pretty powerful once whole. Maybe it's just not time for it to be completed." Jade smirked. "I'm gonna go play video games." She dashed off, with Cielo pursuing.

Tohru sat back, shaking his head. "They are just so energetic. How do they do it?"

"They are young," Uncle said simply. "Youngsters are always full of energy."

Later, while Jade was working on homework back at Section 13, she heard a strange noise. She decided to check it out, and bumped into Cielo on her way out. "Ci, what-"

"Someone's stolen the Arcanum half!" Cielo stared forward. "They went this way."

"Right." They pursued the intruder, and saw someone quite small opening a portal of some sort...while holding the Arcanum! "There they go!" Jade pursued rapidly.

"Jade, wait!" Cielo ran after her, and they both tumbled through the time portal after the intruder.

Once on the other side, Jade quickly grabbed the one holding the Arcanum half and pulled it from his hands. "Gotcha, ya little squirt!"

The one she was holding - who looked like a four year old boy with blue hair and red eyes - glared up at her. "MY pretty rock! Big bully!" His eyes glowed, and magic gathered in his hands as he prepared to blast Jade.

A voice spoke up nearby. "On moni no mori...On moni no mori..." The magic in the boys hands peeled away to disipate against someone in the shadows.

The boy glared at the one in shadow. "Hey! My magic! No fair, sis!"

"I'm all for you teaching bullies a lesson, D-boy," a familiar voice said as the figure stepped out of the shadows. "But I'm not about to let you blast Mom before she's had me," Semana finished, "let alone you."

"SEMANA?" Jade and Cielo said simultaniously. Then they looked at the one she'd called D-boy. "Sis?"

Semana gestured. "Mom, Dad...my little brother the monster. He goes by D-boy. The D stands for Demon, dangerous...and demolition."

"My pretty rock!" D-boy said, reaching for the Arcanum again. He gave Jade his cutest begging expression. "Please?"

Jade shook her head. "I'm not your Mom yet, so that doesn't work on me."

D-boy huffed, and crossed his arms, pouting. "Never works on you anyway..."

"That's cause Mom remembers what it was like to be our age, so isn't fooled," a male voice said from out of nowhere.

"Who was that?" Jade demanded.

Semana sighed. "Ishara, eshco. Istaca mat shala."

There was silence. "Shala..." Semana's shadow suddenly budded off a circular shadow, which expanded as a boy the same age as Semana rose out of it.

Semana smiled. "Mom, Dad...my twin brother. He goes by Shadow. In case you can't tell from his entrance, he's the new King of the Shadowkahn."

Cielo opened and closed his mouth like a landed fish. "How?"

Shadow smiled hesitantly. "Cause Mom was Queen. We each inherited different things, which kinda led to our nicknames. Sis inherited the time energies, which is why she's Semana - Time."

Semana smirked. "Our little monster here," she said, scooping up D-boy, "inherited the lions share of Dad's abilities. Thus, D-boy..." She stared down at the jacket she was holding. "And thus, headaches."

D-boy's voice suddenly said nearby, "What's this button do?"

Every Section 13 agent in the area dove for cover. Jade giggled. "What did he do to get that reaction?"

Semana rolled her eyes. "You'll find out. Believe me, you'll find out."

"Alright." Jade glanced around. "So where am I right now?"

Semana chuckled. "You and Dad are on your second honeymoon...so we have a babysitter." She jerked a thumb over her shoulder at Captain Black, who was busy snoring. "He tried to keep up with all seven of us."

Jade winced. "Seven?"

Semana nodded. "Yep. The three Torres kids...and the fuzzy quads."

Cielo blinked. "Fuzzy quads?"

Chuckling, Semana reached up and plucked a small creature off Cielo's head. It looked like a gorilla-bat with some more human features. "This little girl, her sister, and two brothers. Gratch's kids." Semana looked at Jade and Cielo's blank stares. "What?"

A deep chuckle came from behind Jade and Cielo. "I think you broke them, dear."

Jade and Cielo spun around just as Semana waved, saying, "Hi, Daddy!"

The grown Cielo Torres kneeled down. "And what are you two doing here?" he asked Jade and his younger self. His well muscled frame was a little intimidating.

Jade held up the Arcanum half.

A chuckle came from behind Cielo. "Looks like our kids are being a handful again, dear." Older Jade stepped around, leaning on Cielo's shoulder. She was holding the other half of the Arcanum in one hand.

Young Jade blinked. "How'd you get that?"

Older Jade shrugged. "Ever since we took over Section 13, we haven't had much time beyond running the show and taking care of the kids. We missed the old relic hunt days, so we went hunting for the other half of the Arcanum for our second honeymoon. Here." She plopped the one half down onto the other. "Take it back to Uncle. Otherwise we risk another paradox." She turned. "Semana, would be a dear and send them back?"

"Sure thing Mom!" Semana pointed a hand and snapped her fingers. A time portal opened.

As Jade and Cielo turned to go back to their own time - more than a bit shell-shocked - Shadow called after them, "Would you believe Semana's the responsible one?" 


	29. Hell's Fury Part 1

29. Hell's Fury, part 1

Jade sat in her classroom, feeling rather down. There was no sign of Cielo today, and she hadn't been able to get through to him all day, either via cell phone or thought transfer. She was feeling really antsy, worried about him, but she kept reassuring himself. He was an anciently powerful demon, after all. He could really take care of himself. As she watched the rather boring slideshow regarding early man, she sighed.

*Besides,* she thought to herself, *if he were really in trouble, I'd know about it by now, somehow.*

Right at that moment, Ms. Hardman went to put on the slide of Cro Magnon man, and illuminated Tohru, who grabbed Jade and took her out of the school. As they ran, he filled her in on what was going on.

"Jade, Sensei and Jackie have been kidnapped! I called Section 13, and Captain Black is missing as well." Tohru looked worried. "Who could have done this?"

"Have you seen Cielo today?" Jade asked Tohru. "He wasn't at school, and I haven't been able to reach him. He might be in trouble as well."

"But who would have kidnapped the four of them, and to what purpose?" Tohru shook his head. "We will figure this out back at the shop."

"Right."

00000000000000000

Meanwhile, elsewhere...

Cielo groaned as he shook his head. "Did anyone get the number of that elephant?"

"Actually, kid, it was a truck." Captain Black smirked at Cielo. "Good to see you regain conciousness. When they hit you with the truck, I was sure you were out for good."

"Pfeh!" Uncle said from where he was chained. "Cielo is of demon blood. Made of sterner stuff! Truck not break him!"

"That's a relief," Jackie said. "Now if only we had some way of getting free." He tugged at his chains.

Cielo got up, thinking the chains would be easy to break...but runes flared on them the moment he tried to tap into magic, and he collapsed in pain.

"Comfy, cozy? No? Good!" Drago hopped down from the pile of cars. "Don't get any cute ideas, by the way, short stuff. I know how skilled you are with your magic, so those chains are spelled. If you try to cast any spells, the runes will drain your magic and cause you intense pain!" Drago grinned. "You won't be getting out of this one too easily. Speaking of, though..." Drago grabbed Cielo's chains and hauled him up. "...you're going to be helping me with something..."

00000000000000000000

Jade paced the shop. "If we can figure out who kidnapped them, we can figure out what they want. First things first, let's search for clues." The phone rang, and Jade ran to pick it up.

Tohru got there first. "It is Jackie's cell phone calling."

Jade grabbed the phone. "Jackie!"

"NNGHK! Guess again!" Drago's grin could be heard from the other end of the phone. "But your Uncle is a guest of mine, along with the old timer, Captain Wack...and a rather special guest. Take a listen."

There was a bit of static. "Jade..."

"Ci!" Jade's voice got hard. "If you hurt them, Drago, or if you have, I swear-"

"You're in no position to be making threats, Junior. But their safe return IS up to you."

"So it's a ransom you're after," Jade said. "I'm listening."

"Here's the deal. You get them all back when I get the chi containment unit...and all the demon chi it contains!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jade faked, trying to buy time.

"Wrong answer, pipsqueak!" A choking noise could be heard from the other end of the line. "Guess you don't care about your boyfriend after all!"

"No!" Jade panicked. "It...it'll take some time."

The choking noise stopped. "You have until 3 am, at the golden gate bridge. Be-" There was the sound of a scuffle.

"Jade!" Cielo had grabbed the phone. "Don't give it to him! Eight might have meshed in one being, but even Drago doesn't know what will happen with nine! And-"

"Shut up you little brat!" There was another sound of a scuffle, followed by a sickening snap.

Jade went deathly quiet. "...Ci?..."

Drago was on the phone again. "Looks like a change of plans, kiddo. Nine chi...for three lives. Sorry about your boyfriend, but maybe you should learn from his lesson, and cooperate." The phone call ended.

Jade stared at the phone, not seeing it. "Ci?..."

To be continued... 


	30. Hell's Fury part 2

30. Hell's Fury, part 2

Jade slowly hung up the phone, not willing to believe. Cielo couldn't be dead, not like this. He was Hsi Wu, anciently powerful demon sorcerer. He couldn't have died...not just like that...could he?

"Jade?" Tohru asked her. "Are you-"

Jade held up her hand. Reaching into her hoodie, she found her charm, the Yang. She clutched it in her hand. *Ci?* she called with all the strength her mind could bring to bear. *CI!*

There was no response.

Jade let the charm fall, and hung her head. This...this couldn't be. The worry that had always plagued their relationship was the inevitability of Cielo outliving her...not the other way around. She stared at the counter, not seeing anything. Deep inside, she wept silently, but a year that never happened kept the tears from her eyes.

Tohru stared as Jade sat silent. He was concerned. This wasn't good. "Jade...what are we going to do?"

Slowly, Jade's head rose. "Tohru," she said, her voice flat, dead. "Get the chi containment unit to the bridge by the appointed time. Make whatever other preperations you feel you need to make in the meantime. I will meet you there." She got up and headed for her backpack.

"Jade!" Tohru said, shocked. "You don't really mean to give the chi to Drago, do you?"

Jade was silent. "The only thing I'm going to give Drago..." She looked up at Tohru, a red glint in her eyes. "...is exactly what he deserves." Her voice rasped on the last words, and she vanished in a cloud of chi magic, what Tohru recognized as Cielo's teleportation spell.

"Jade..." he whispered, then turned to his preperations. He would have something, anything...to help Jade and the others.

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Drago hopped down in front of Jackie and the others. "Well, it looks like there's been a minor change of plans. I'm about to trade your three lives for nine demon chi! A three-for-one sale! Pretty sweet deal for me!"

"What about Cielo?" Jackie demanded. "What have you done with him?"

Drago chuckled. "There was a...bit of an accident. Needless to say, Jade knows what happens if she doesn't give me what I want...and you three know what happens if you try to fight back!" Laughing, Drago leapt away.

Jackie looked stricken. "No..."

Captain Black hung his head. "I'm sorry, my friend. He was a good kid. I...I know this will be hard on Jade..."

"Pfeh!" Uncle said. "Uncle not believe it! Cielo tough cookie. Uncle not believe until Uncle see body!"

"Yo, you three!" Drago shouted at Ice and his crew. "Toss this garbage somewhere I won't smell its stink!" There was a thunk in front of Jackie and the others, and DJ Fist came up to carry away an apparently lifeless body.

"No..." Uncle whispered, his eyes filling. He turned his head away.

Meanwhile, Strike Master Ice leaned against a pile of cars. MC Cobra came up to him. "Yo, Ice...I'm not feeling too hot about this whole thing."

"I hear ya, dawg," Ice said. "The whole hostage thing made sense, but...offing the kid like that, it just don't sit right, ya know?"

"And this is the dude we're gonna hand the world to, once he gets that chi? I don't know man, I'm thinking this ain't the right thing, ya know?"

"Don't worry, dawg." Ice grinned. "I got no intention of being lackey to a nutjob for long. When we go to get the chi...I think it'll be time to renegotiate our contract, ya get what I'm saying?"

"Word, man. I dig." Fist walked up, having shifted Cielo's body. "Whadda you say, Fist? Ya in with us?"

Dj Fist turned to look at where he had placed the body - in a nearby field, surrounded by flowers, under a tall tree. Turning back to the other two, he nodded fiercely.

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At the bridge, near 3 am, Tohru set down the chi containment unit. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out the spell he had prepared. He didn't know what good it would do, but he was going to try.

"You're late," a rasping voice said from under the shadow of a pillar.

Tohru looked up. "Jade? Is that you?"

"Yeah, T. It's me." She stepped out. She had a long black overrobe that covered her from head to toe, hiding her completely from sight. "What's left of me, anyway."

"Jade...you don't sound well. Are you sure you should-"

"Stay hidden," Jade said firmly. "I will handle Drago...for the last time." Turning, she walked out onto the bridge.

Before long, Drago arrived. "Show me the chi!" he shouted at Jade.

"First, show me proof of life," she said in a rasping voice.

Smirking, Drago snapped his fingers. The light in the truck came on, showing Jackie, Uncle, and Captain Black, still tied up. "You know, Jade, you look good in black. Now, give me the chi!"

"The only thing I'm giving you," Jade said, pulling out a statue fragment that looked like a dragon's head, "is this."

Drago stepped back, gasping. "What did you do to my father, you bitch?"

"Oh, hadn't you heard?" Jade's robe began to swirl. "Nearly two years ago...I killed him. And now...I get to do a repeat performance with the son. Because, Drago, for what you've done..." She tossed off her robe. "I'm going to make you wish you were never born!"

Jade had changed. Her skin was pale blue, and her eyes glowed red. She once more wore the gown she had worn when she was Queen of the Shadow Kahn, and once more looked the part. She held up the skull. "The power you wanted...will be your destruction!" As the stone skull began to glow, she proceeded to chant. "Ya Gaa Mee Mo, Ya Gaa Mee Chi-Wah...Ya Gaa Mee Mo, Ya Gaa Mee Chi-Wah..."

Tohru blinked. "What is that spell Jade is chanting?" He flinched back as the chi containment unit shattered, and the nine chis began to swirl around the stone skull.

As Jade continued to chant, the skull began to absorb the chis, one by one, growing as it did so. An energy body expanded, presenting physical features of each of the demons who were the source of the chi. The horns of Dai Gui of Earth...the body of Po Kong of Mountain...the main arms of Tchiang Zhu of Thunder...the second arms of Tso Lan of Moon...the head of Shendu of Fire...the scales of Drago...the mouth of Xiao Fung of Wind...the tail of Bai Tza of Water...and the wings of Hsi Wu of Sky. The behemoth roared as it was completed, a mostrosity of demon chi and dark fury.

Jade spread wings of her own, and flew up to the point where the head joined the neck. Energy spread from her hands to link to the jaws of the creation, and an energy lash appeared in her other hand as the skies darkened and turned red. "Behold the harbringer of your destruction, Drago!" Jade cried. "Yours, and all your kind!" She struck the lash, and the behemoth lunged.

To be continued... 


	31. Hell's Fury part 3

31. Hell's Fury, part 3

Tohru fled along with Uncle, Captain Black, and Jackie, after having freed them from the truck. "Please tell me one of you has a plan for this," Tohru said, trying to catch his breath.

"Tohru!" Jackie shouted, shocked. "Cielo is dead, Jade has used the demon chi to create some sort of...rage behemoth, and is dead set on ripping Drago apart with it, and then going from there to destroy ALL demons, possibly consuming the earth in her fury in the process! What kind of person would have a plan ready for just this possibility?"

Uncle was quiet for a moment as they ran. "Uncle has a couple of ideas."

"...you gotta be kidding me," Jackie said, for what felt like the umpteenth time since Jade came into his life. He sighed. "Okay. What's the plan?"

"Jade has made monster. To fight monster, we must think like Jade." Uncle nodded firmly. "We must get to Section 13. There is someone I need to consult with!"

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Drago attempted to dodge as the behemoth struck out at him. So far, he'd been able to avoid any direct strikes, as the behemoth's size worked against it when it came to attacking. However, its mix of elemental powers made attacking it a fool's errand. One elemental force or another would knock him back every time.

Strike Master Ice and his crew prepared to flee. "Where do you think you're going?" Drago shouted after them.

Ice looked back. "Away from here, dawg! She wants to smoke you, that's your problem, not ours." Suddenly, a wave of fire passed over the three of them, and they returned to normal, as the bits of fire demon chi inside them were absorbed by the behemoth. "That's our que to jet!" They tore out of there like bats out of hell.

Drago snarled, then dodged as an energy lash struck right next to him, blistering the air with its passage.

"All alone now, Drago?" Jade asked, her voice rasping. "Good. Now you will taste true agony!" She struck the lash against the behemoth, and it lunged for him. He dodged to the side, just barely.

"You're really starting to get on my nerves, Princess!" Drago snarled at Jade.

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Uncle walked into the Vault in Section 13. "Shendu, I would speak with you."

"Yes Old Man...what do you want?" Shendu snarled his defiance. "And what makes you think I will help you?"

"Because..." Uncle leaned in. He whispered to Shendu. "Jade wields demon power to purge demons from existance. Uncle cares not for demons, but does care for Jade and Earth. This, if continues, will destroy both. You will stop her golem, yes?"

Shendu was silent for a time. "What would have driven that child to such dark magics?" Shendu wondered, curious.

Uncle gazed into Shendu's eyes. "The death of your brother at the hands of your son," he whispered. "Your son is Jade's first target, and your old skull is the focus of her magic. When she finishes with Drago, she will come for you. Do you wish to be crushed like stone...or fight like dragon? You will fight behemoth, and Jade will live. That is deal, yes?"

Shendu glowered at Uncle, then roared. "Bargain struck, wizard! Bargain struck!"

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Drago continued to evade the behemoth's strikes as the battle carried to the baseball park. The last massive blow from the behemoth struck the earth, and the ground split open. Unearthly howls came from beneath, as a portal to the Demon Netherworld had been opened.

"Hear that, Drago?" Jade called. "That is the cries of your bretheren. Before too long, you will join them...in the eternal anguish I shall bring upon you!" She roared and struck again with the lash. The Behemoth released a wave of raw chi, a mixture of all eight elements, ripping the very fabric of the world around them apart.

Drago staggered backward as the wave hit him. He looked up at her, snarling. "I will not lose to a pathetic, lovestruck schoolgirl!" He attempted to leap, but was knocked down as gravity turned against him.

"You will fall." Jade glowered down at him. "You will ALL fall!" The behemoth suddenly staggered as a concentrated blast of fire struck it from behind. She turned. "What?"

Shendu stood there, energized by the twelve Talismans. "Unhand my son, child!"

Jade roared her fury, and the behemoth echoed her roar. It lunged for Shendu, seizing him and pulling him backward towards the rift.

Drago, seizing his chance, lunged INTO the behemoth, attempting to absorb all nine demon chi's. The behemoth reared, bucking Jade off. She landed some distance away, staggering a bit, snarling.

Shendu attempted to break free of the behemoth, but its grip was locked tight as it was absorbed into Drago. "Release me, foolish boy!" Shendu snapped.

Before Drago could do anything, Jade held up her hand. "Take the chi of your bretheren, for all the good it will do you!" She snapped her fingers, and a flute of purest silver flipped out of her sleeve. "But one thing you shall never have!" She played the flute, a haunting, calling melody. The wings faded from the behemoth, and a ghostly blue flute floated over to the flute Jade was playing, merging with it. She took the flute from her mouth. "THIS ONE IS MINE!" She began to play again, a bright, forced march. The rift the behemoth had opened began to howl, sucking inward, as Drago, the behemoth he was absorbing, and Shendu were slowly sucked in.

"Move you fool!" Shendu snapped at Drago!

"I can't!" Drago snarled. "I can't control this body yet!"

As the march picked up pace, the beat suddenly changed to a dirge, and the ground collapsed beneath the behemoth. Shendu and Drago tumbled into the void, sucked into the demon netherworld once more. On the last note, the ground snapped shut, sealing them in forever.

As the sky returned to normal, Jade's skin and eyes did as well. Holding up her hand, the overrobe from before landed in her hand, and she wrapped it around herself. Turning, she walked past the concerned looks of her family, putting the flute once more to her lips. A mourning dirge played once more, a slow, sad tune that tugged at the heart.

A song of heartbreak. 


	32. Regrets

32. Regrets

-Let me know that I've done wrong when I've known this all along-

Jade walked along, playing the flute, letting her grief and loss, the emptiness in her heart, fill the music.

-I go around a time or two Just to waste my time with you-

She walked down familiar streets, empty, echoing. She saw no hope down these streets, only loss from the battles waged, sorrow hanging from the sign posts. What was there for her here, now?

-Tell me all that you've thrown away find out games you don't want to play you are the only one that needs to know-

She thought about CIelo. About Hsi Wu. They were one and the same, and yet the distinction was important. It had been important to him, but how could she see them as two different people now? He was gone...and what was left?

-I'll keep you my dirty little secret (dirty little secret)-

She wandered past Section 13, ignoring the hole in its wall from where Shendu had busted out. She walked past Uncle's shop, ignoring the once homey place. Although it would still be filled with family...without knowing it, she had filled her heart with another, and he was no more.

-Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret (just another regret, hope that you can keep it)  
my dirty little secret-

And now, all she had left were regrets. Regretting turning her back on opportunities she had. In her hands she held a flute, filled with his chi. When she had carried it inside her, she could have lived with him forever, turning her back on all else. But she had let him talk her out of it. And now...

-Who has to know?  
When we live such fragile lives It's the best way we survive I go around a time or two just to waste my time with you-

She found her way to a field filled with flowers. There she saw the body, and her song faltered. Lowering her flute, she walked slowly up to kneel beside him. He looked so peaceful there, as though he were sleeping. DJ Fist had made some attempt to realign his neck, and had lay him out with his arms at his side. Jade chocked back the tears.

-Tell me all that you've thrown away Find out games you don't want to play You are the only one that needs to know-

Gently, she stroked his face, tucking a strand of his hair absentmindedly behind his ear. She took in every feature of his face - this human face he had crafted for her, that had become his own. She thought to the vision of the future she had seen, of their happy marraige, of their beautiful children...and felt it crash around her as the tears fell.

-I'll keep you my dirty little secret (Dirty little secret)  
Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret (Just another regret, hope that you can keep it)  
My dirty little secret Who has to know-

Picking up her flute, Jade began to play again, a song filled with longing for that which was lost and could never be reclaimed.

-The way she feels inside (inside)  
Those thoughts I can't deny (deny)-

Jade struggled with her own heart, knowing what she would find...the reason for her pain, the emotion she hadn't been ready for, that had caught her all unawares...only to be reft away just as she began to understand it.

-These sleeping dogs won't lie (won't lie)  
And now I try to lie-

But as much as she had tried to deny it before, as much as she had feared it...she was now faced with her greatest regret. The words that filled her...that he would never hear her say.

-It's eating me apart Trace this life back-

She remembered every moment they'd shared for over two years. Every little quirk that he'd had, everything he'd done to make her smile. All the way from the very beginning, when they were adversaries, to when he had found a way to free her from what would have been her greatest curse. The kiss of his magic had freed her from the trap of her own making. She looked over her time with him and realized...with everything that had happened to her, she already knew the answers she had been looking for.

-I'll keep you my dirty little secret (dirty little secret)  
Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret (Just another regret)-

She had seen life with him from the perspective of a child. She had seen it from the perspective of servant and object of longing. She had seen it from the perspective of a teenager; human, demon, and feline. She had seen the happy future of an adult. She had nothing to fear, and knew her own truth.

-I'll keep you my dirty little secret (dirty little secret)  
Don't tell anyone or you'll be just another regret (Just another regret, Hope that you can keep it)-

She put the flute down, and gazed longingly into his face. "Ci...if only I'd had the courage to tell you before...how much I love you..." She broke down into tears.

-My dirty little secret dirty little secret dirty little secret-

Wailing her greif, she collapsed beside him, crying her eyes out, wishing with all her heart that he might somehow wake up to comfort her, to tell her once more that it would all be okay...to tell her he loved her, too.

-Who has to know?  
Who has to know?-

Cielo sat up suddenly and stretched. "Ow," he muttered. "That's a serious crick in the neck," he muttered. He turned and saw Jade staring at him. "I think I've got my head on straight now, though. What did I miss?" Jade reached out slowly, and he caught her hand in his. "Jade?"

"CI!" Jade threw herself into his arms, holding him fiercely, knowing that this time, even more than the last, she would never let him go. 


End file.
